I know, I know…it doesn’t seem credible does it? Here we are only just edging into the second quarter of the current year, and thoughts are already having to turn to planning the following 12 months. Unfortunately, such is the case when it comes to wildlife and if it makes any of you feel any better, I’m currently booking my workload to the end of 2020…a sobering thought!
All of the trips I’m leading in 2017 are completely full, with just 3 spaces left on one – our photographic adventure to South Luangwa in Zambia. If you’d like to get on board for that one, then follow the link here for more information and the chance to grab one of the last spaces.
Still, back to next year. It’s certainly going to be a busy one and I’ll be punctuating my normal assignments with leading a select number of trips during the course of the year. Some of these are already starting to fill, so if you’re interested in heading to Ethiopia in January, or witnessing the spectactular calving season in the Serengeti in February, then there’s just a few spaces left on each trip. For more details, get in touch directly with Naturetrek (www.naturetrek.co.uk), and they will be able to get you on the shortlist. As with all the trips I lead, they are strictly limited in order that you get plenty of room for gear, space in which to work, a feeling of exclusivity, and as much – or as little – time with me as you need or want.
Bears, bears, bears…
In 2018, I’m going to be leading four bear offerings in total. As one of a very small group of four photographers worldwide who leads picture-taking tours on foot with polar bears, it’s not surprising that these feature again heavily in my timetable and options to travel with me to Baffin Island in March for mothers and newborn cubs will be on the agenda – please contact me directly to discuss this – as will two trips in the sub-arctic tundra of northern Manitoba, in association with Churchill Wild.
The latter consists of two trips: a “dual lodge” offering, staying at Seal River and Nanuk lodges with a flight in between, and a “single lodge” excursion to Nanuk. For 2018, the “Dual Lodge” is already completely full, so if you are keen to get on this for 2019 then please let me know as soon as possible as the waitlist starts building very quickly. As a pointer, this trip fills up to 18 months in advance so it’s important to get in early! If you want to know more about it, click here to view the description of the tour I will be leading this in 2017 and 2018, but it has been so popular that I didn’t even get the time to put up the announcement for next year in time! However, the guide to 2017 still outlines exactly what we will be doing…so gives you the flavour of 2019.
There are still spaces on the NANUK 2018 PHOTO SAFARI, and I have attached a sheet to that link that you can use to view more info. Nanuk is a fantastic lodge and we have great potential for extraordinary sightings of polar bears (many with cubs of year), foxes (all types), moose, wolves and even black bears to name but a few. It’s a magical place…and one that, atmospheric conditions permitting, is complemented by spectacular shows of the northern lights in the evening.
Grizzlies: up close and personal
The bears of Kodiak Island are legendary, and next year, for the first time, I will be taking just six lucky people to view them on foot. Kodiak’s grizzlies are the largest on the planet, and we will have exclusive use of 112,000 acres of prime bear habitat at the most productive time of the year to view and photograph these icons of the wilderness. If you’ve never seen a Kodiak grizzly…then, well, you’ll be in for a treat. There will only be six photographers on the trip, plus me, and it might be that we limit it to just five. We will be on location for 8 days (7 nights) and without a boardwalk or crowd in sight. This will be Alaska at its remote best…but with excellent, comfortable lodging thrown in! For more information and to reserve your space on this extraordinary adventure, then have a look here and get in touch as soon as possible.
Vic Falls and Botswana: by land and water
I will be on assignment in Botswana in April and May next year as a new lodge offering opens in a concession neighbouring the Okavango Delta. For two months I will be there to get the photographic possibilities established, with a view to a privileged few guests being able to start visiting the property later that year. This is extremely exciting, as the site is in a prolific game area, and we will have sole traversing rights – unlike some of the more crowded concessions that are appearing along the waterways now. However, before that fully opens, I will be staying on in the country into June to lead one group of just six people on a fantastic 9 day/8 night trip from Victoria Falls to Chobe National Park. This will be a truly special adventure, starting with a stay at the world-famous Victoria Falls Hotel for 2 nights, before transferring to our tented camp deep in the Chobe National Park. From here we will do land-based game viewing in a specially customized camera vehicle, with everyone guaranteed a “window” seat (the benefit of just 6 in the vehicle). After our time tracking on the land, however, the trip gets even better, as we transfer to a houseboat on the Chobe river, viewing the game as it comes to drink, swim, bathe and cross this aquatic border. The houseboat will be for our exclusive use (it holds 10 people, but we will just have six of us on it), and each day we will have access to a custom-built photographic boat with swivel chairs and intrinsic camera supports. This will enable us to get some incredible shots of Botswana’s wildlife from water-level. Photographically, this trip is unique and one that will provide the opportunities of a lifetime. For full information on this exciting adventure, have a look at more details here. With just six spaces, this trip will fill extremely quickly.
If you’ve missed out for 2017…make sure you don’t lose the opportunities that 2018 will have to offer and get in touch as soon as possible!
TO RESERVE A SPACE ON ANY OF THE TRIPS, CONTACT ME DIRECTLY.