Wouldn’t it be nice to get away from most of the fear and uncertainty surrounding COVID for a week or two? That’s what I just did, though I doubt most people would think of it that way. After three years of planning – and a year’s postponement – I left early this month to take twelve people on an African photo safari to Tanzania. That’s not to say there weren’t a number of hoops we had to jump through to make it happen. But having just returned, I’m happy to say that despite all that, it turned out to be one of the best trips I’ve ever led there. Before I get into why, let me explain how we dealt with COVID.
Two days before leaving Tanzania, we went to the medical clinic in the Serengeti to get our PCR COVID tests. That gave time for the samples to be flown to Dar es Salaam, tested, and results emailed to us before we boarded our flights home. Everyone tested negative.
First, everyone signing up to go on the trip had to be fully vaccinated. That not only would help protect us from each other, but lessen the chance of spreading it to others and lessen the chance of having to be hospitalized far from home. Next, everyone had to get a negative PCR test just before leaving. During the flights to and from, of course, masks were required all the time (other than when eating or drinking). Landing in Tanzania (where the vast majority of the Serengeti is), we all then underwent a rapid test (and received negative results) before we were allowed to leave the airport. All three of our guides also had rapid tests the day we arrived, and tested negative. Staff at the various lodges and camps we stayed at wore masks when around us, and we also masked for those rare times we were indoors with others (most dining rooms and lounges are open air). Finally, just before leaving Tanzania, we underwent another PCR test, as we needed a negative result from that to board our flights back home. And, once home, I also took another rapid test five days after landing to confirm I wasn’t infected at some point on the return. Of course, all of that took extra planning and money, but meant we were about as protected as we could be. Now on to the trip! I’ll start with the wildlife, but after that I’ll get into things like people, itinerary, lodging, food, transportation, gear and the importance of good guides.
Wildlife
The main reason I return to Africa and the Serengeti again and again is because of the quantity of wildlife. I’ve been lucky enough to travel to a few other parts of Africa, and in my experience, if you want to see LOTS of wildlife, the Serengeti is hard to beat. Yes, you’ll probably witness the great migration (over a million wildebeest and zebra that travel a circuit following the rain), but you’re also pretty much guaranteed to have some wonderful encounters with lions, elephants, giraffes, hippos, other zebra and wildebeest and on and on. You’re more than likely to see leopards and a cheetah or two as well (though lions are the primary big cat). Rhinos have been nearly wiped out across Africa, and while there are still a few in the Serengeti, your best chance of seeing them is in Ngorongoro Crater (and we did, though from a distance). Because of the confined nature of that ecosystem (it’s inside the caldera of an extinct volcano), poaching would be extremely difficult. And finally, even though I’ve gone back to the same areas time and time again, each experience has been different because the animals always are. Here are some of my favorite wildlife photos from this trip. Continue reading after these photos for more about the safari itself.
Not a bad start to our trip! Everyone arrived in Tanzania a day before the trip officially began, so Yusuf (our lead guide) put together an outing for us to go to nearby Arusha National Park, instead of just sitting around the lodge all day. This pride of lions was kind enough to come down to a river across from us for a drink. Nikon D500, Aperture Priority, Sunny white balance, ISO 280, 1/500 at f/5.6 in Matrix metering, 0.0 EV, Nikkor AF-S Nikkor 200-500mm f/5.6E ED VR lens at 500mm.
And on our first day in Serengeti National Park? Just fifteen minutes from the entrance station we found a lion by the side of the road, and then a bit later these two leopards. We had to wait almost an hour for them to come down from the tree they were in, but it was worth the wait. Nikon D500, Aperture Priority, Sunny white balance, ISO 1000, 1/320 at f/5.6 in Matrix metering, 0.0 EV, Nikkor AF-S Nikkor 200-500mm f/5.6E ED VR lens at 500mm.
We’re on safari long enough that we can afford to take chances, like playing with slow shutter speeds and panning occasionally when there’s action. Nikon D500, Aperture Priority, Sunny white balance, ISO 100, 1/20 at f/5.6 in Matrix metering, -0.3 EV, Nikkor AF-S Nikkor 200-500mm f/5.6E ED VR lens at 270mm.
Staying in mobile camps (more on that below) meant we were closer to the wildlife in the morning and evening, so had the opportunity to make some photos like this. The size and activity at the large lodges keeps the wildlife away. Nikon Z 6, Aperture Priority, Sunny white balance, ISO 400, 1/1000 at f/6.3 in Matrix metering, -1.0 EV, Nikkor VR Zoom 24-120mm f/4G IF-ED lens at 78mm.
Time equals opportunity when doing wildlife photography. We spotted this group of elephants on the other side of the Mara River, and stayed long enough that they ended up crossing and having a pool party right in front of us. They’re very social animals, which makes them one of my favorites to watch and photograph. Nikon D500, Aperture Priority, Sunny white balance, ISO 2500, 1/1000 at f/5.6 in Matrix metering, -0.3 EV, Nikkor AF-S Nikkor 200-500mm f/5.6E ED VR lens at 380mm.
In all of my trips to Tanzania, I’ve never seen as many lion cubs as we did this time – it seemed as if we were photographing them every day. Nikon D500, Aperture Priority, Sunny white balance, ISO 320, 1/500 at f/5.6 in Matrix metering, 0.0 EV, Nikkor AF-S Nikkor 200-500mm f/5.6E ED VR lens at 500mm.
And if you’ve got lion cubs, you can expect to see some play too. After all, they’re just big kittens! Nikon D500, Aperture Priority, Sunny white balance, ISO 2500, 1/400 at f/5.6 in Matrix metering, -0.3 EV, Nikkor AF-S Nikkor 200-500mm f/5.6E ED VR lens at 500mm.
Did I mention we saw a lot of lion cubs? Their ages ranged from a few weeks to several months. Nikon D500, Aperture Priority, Sunny white balance, ISO 800, 1/500 at f/5.6 in Matrix metering, -0.3 EV, Nikkor AF-S Nikkor 200-500mm f/5.6E ED VR lens at 420mm.
We visited two different hippo pools, and again, if you spend time there, you’re likely to see some action. Nikon D500, Aperture Priority, Sunny white balance, ISO 640, 1/1250 at f/5.6 in Matrix metering, +1.0 EV, Nikkor AF-S Nikkor 200-500mm f/5.6E ED VR lens at 380mm.
We were lucky enough to see leopards several times, twice with a pair together. We parked near these two for over an hour while enjoying our box lunches, but didn’t get anything more than them in the tree. But that’s what wildlife photography is all about – sometimes you get something special, sometimes not. Nikon D500, Aperture Priority, Sunny white balance, ISO 250, 1/640 at f/5.6 in Matrix metering, +1.3 EV, Nikkor AF-S Nikkor 200-500mm f/5.6E ED VR lens at 440mm.
Oxpecker birds are best known for feeding on insects (like ticks) off giraffes and Cape Buffalo. But you’ll also find them on hippos, sometimes feeding on the blood from wounds as well as insects. Nikon D500, Aperture Priority, Sunny white balance, ISO 800, 1/2000 at f/5.6 in Matrixt metering, -0.3 EV, Nikkor AF-S Nikkor 200-500mm f/5.6E ED VR lens at 380mm.
We saw cheetahs a couple of times, but this was our closest experience, as it crossed the dirt road right by our trucks. I have closer photos, but really like the pose in this one. I tell my group that you don’t just want tight shots of animals, but also photos that show them in their environment, as well as action when possible. Nikon D500, Aperture Priority, Sunny white balance, ISO 200, 1/800 at f/5.6 in Matrix metering, -0.7 EV, Nikkor AF-S Nikkor 200-500mm f/5.6E ED VR lens at 500mm.
People
Tanzania is not just wildlife, but people too. Driving to and from the national parks we visit, we also get a taste of what life’s like for the people who live there. And we make a point to visit some of the unique tribes in the country, the Maasai being just one of them. This trip we also took a day to find the Hadzabe bushmen, a hunter-gatherer group, and the Datoga (sometimes spelled Datooga or Tatoga), who are in some ways similar to the Maasai.
The Hadzabe are a small tribe of hunters and gatherers. Traditional bushmen, their way of life is disappearing as they, too, adapt to the changing world. We followed them on a hunt, where they used bow and arrow to get both a squirrel and a bat. Alana had the boys join her for a selfie of that. Nikon D500, Aperture Priority, Sunny white balance, ISO 200, 1/250 at f/5.6 in Matrix metering, -0.3 EV, Nikkor AF-S Nikkor 24-120mm f/4G ED VR lens at 24mm.
After killing the squirrel, they started a fire with a friction drill (piece of wood), put the squirrel in the fire to burn off its fur and cook it, then shared with those of us willing to try it. Tasted like chicken! Nikon Z 6, Aperture Priority, Sunny white balance, ISO 400, 1/250 at f/5.6 in Matrixmetering, +0.7 EV, Nikkor AF 20mm f/1.8G lens at 20mm.
After spending time with the bushmen, we then visited a group of the Datoga (Tatoga) tribe. They have a similar lifestyle to that of the Maasai (herd-based culture), but are also known for their blacksmithing and jewelry skills. Nikon D500, Aperture Priority, Sunny white balance, ISO 320, 1/1250 at f/5.6 in Matrix metering, -0.7 EV, Nikkor AF-S Nikkor 200-500mm f/5.6E ED VR lens at 310mm.
Since the Maasai don’t hunt wild animals, they’re allowed to graze their herds of cattle, sheep and goats in the Ngorongoro Conservation area. They welcome tourists with song and dance. Nikon Z 6, Aperture Priority, Sunny white balance, ISO 200, 1/200 at f/8 in multi-segment metering, -0.3 EV, Nikkor VR Zoom 24-120mm f/4G IF-ED lens at 24mm.
Itinerary
This being my ninth time taking people on safari in Tanzania, I’ve got a pretty good idea of how to make the most of our time there and what national parks will give us the best experiences (we visit more than just Serengeti National Park). On top of that, I always work with our lead guide to find out what’s changed recently (weather, water, etc.) that might affect the wildlife, and thus our itinerary. For instance, on this trip we decided to spend a good part of two days traveling to the far northern border of Tanzania to try to photograph wildebeest crossing the Mara River (we were successful!). And, this was a bit more of an “adventure” trip than the ones I’ve led in recent years, so we did more driving (instead of flying back from the Serengeti) and added the bushmen visit I mentioned above.
On the “pre-day” excursion to Arusha National Park, we joined one of the local rangers for a walking safari. That gave us a different experience than we’d get in the Serengeti, where most of our time would be spent shooting from trucks. Nikon Z 6, Aperture Priority, Sunny white balance, ISO 400, 1/800 at f/8 in Matrix metering, -0.7 EV, Nikkor 24.0-120.0 mm f/4.0 lens at 24mm.
To have any chance of seeing wildebeest in their mad rush across the Mara River, you need to commit the time, and a couple of three-hour drives, to get north near the Kenyan border. We did this that trip, and then sat in the truck for hours waiting to see if they’d cross. This was one of two times they did while we were there. Nikon D500, Aperture Priority, Sunny white balance, ISO 1100, 1/2000 at f/8 in Matrix metering, -0.3 EV, Nikkor AF-S Nikkor 200-500mm f/5.6E ED VR lens at 500mm.
When they rushed the river the second time, we had to shoot through some branches to catch their leap into the river. The mad scramble of the trucks when the wildebeest start crossing was almost as exciting as the crossing itself. Nikon D500, Aperture Priority, Sunny white balance, ISO 2000, 1/1250 at f/5.6 in multi-segment metering, 0.0 EV, Nikkor AF-S Nikkor 200-500mm f/5.6E ED VR lens at 240mm.
Lodging and Food
I always get a kick out of it when people ask if we’ll be sleeping on the ground and eating trail mix. These are places that cater to tourists, and while some accomodations are pretty basic, you’ll also see lodges and camps that would embarrass any five-star hotel. For this trip we passed on the fancier, large lodges and camps to stay at what are called “mobile camps.” They’re generally temporary (from a few months to a few years), and while they lack some of the fancy stuff (like pools), they keep us closer to the wildlife for better photo opportunities. And as far as food goes, there are always lots of tasty choices, so no one goes away from a meal hungry.
Here we are having breakfast at one of the mobile camps. As you can see, we weren’t exactly roughing it. Nikon Z 6, Aperture Priority, Auto white balance, ISO 2000, 1/20 at f/4 in Matrix metering, +0.3 EV, Nikkor VR Zoom 24-120mm f/4G IF-ED lens at 24mm.
To maximize our time shooting, most days we brought box lunches with us. You can see why not one person in the group ever ate everything in that box. iPhone photo.
This is what’s commonly called “glamping.” Not like any tent camping I’ve ever done, each tent even has its own bathroom with shower. The weather was pretty perfect, with low humidity and daytime temps in the low 80s. And while there were mosquito nets on the beds, we rarely saw any bugs. Being in small camps like this meant we were much closer to the wildlife, which made for entertaining sounds at night. Nikon Z 6, Aperture Priority, Sunny white balance, ISO 400, 1/4 at f/6.3 in Matrix metering, -0.3 EV, Nikkor VR Zoom 24-120mm f/4G IF-ED lens at 24mm.
I took this group photo as we were leaving one of the mobile camps, with our guides and camp staff joining us. Nikon Z 6, Aperture Priority, Sunny white balance, ISO 200, 1/200 at f/5.6 in Matrix metering, 0.0 EV, Nikkor VR Zoom 24-120mm f/4G IF-ED lens at 24mm.
Transportation
Yes, you’re going to endure at least one long flight to get there. But it wasn’t long ago that this type of travel would be measured in weeks or months, not hours. Once on the ground, you’ll be traveling by Toyota Land Rover, but not like you might see around town at home. These four-wheel drive beasts are modified, making them longer, which adds a third row of seats (and often small refrigerator as well). While doing that, they also cut out the roof and replace it with one that can be raised, so you can stand and shoot out the top. If there’s rain or heavy dust, then the roof comes down and seals nicely. I much prefer this type of truck to what’s often found in South Africa or Botswana, which are open-sided with three rows of seats rising in the back. Those are much harder for a group of photographers to work from without getting in each other’s way. Finally, while these trucks can seat eight people, I only allow four photographers per truck, to avoid crowding. That means we pay a bit more, but four people can stand shoulder-to-shoulder to shoot out the side, so no fighting over photo position.
From atop one of the rare hills in the Serengeti, you can get a feel for what the landscape looks like as well as the gravel and dirt roads that crisscross it. Nikon D500, Aperture Priority, Sunny white balance, ISO 200, 1/1250 at f/5.6 in Matrix metering, 0.0 EV, Nikkor AF-S Nikkor 200-500mm f/5.6E ED VR lens at 270mm.
Here you can see what the trucks are like, both inside and out. Notice Ibrahim in the driver’s seat looking up an unusual bird someone asked about. While people often only think about the big animals, there’s also an amazing variety of birdlife. Nikon Z 6, Aperture Priority, Sunny white balance, ISO 800, 1/40 at f/11 in Matrix metering, -1.3 EV, Nikkor VR Zoom 24-120mm f/4G IF-ED lens at 24mm.
Guides
This is actually the most important part of a photo safari – a knowledgeable guide. While everyone driving a truck is a licensed guide (a one-year full-time commitment where they learn a LOT about the ecology, geology, history and of course, wildlife in their country), I make sure that our guides have some experience understanding what we need as photographers. Since most photography is done from the truck, that guide needs to put us in the best possible spot for our photos. For us, simply seeing an animal isn’t enough – we want to make GOOD photos. And since our guides spend a large part of their life among the wildlife there, they have a good idea where and when to find the different animals.
This is the team that made sure we had an amazing experience. From left, Yusuf (our lead guide), along with Ibrahim and Cornel. Nikon D500, Aperture Priority, Sunny white balance, ISO 200, 1/250 at f/9 in Matrix metering, +0.3 EV, Nikkor AF-S Nikkor 200-500mm f/5.6E ED VR lens at 220mm.
Gear
For wildlife photography, a long telephoto lens is a must. On my first trip, back in 2006, I took a Nikkor 400mm f/3.5 manual focus lens. After that I always had an autofocus Nikon lens, starting with the 200-400mm f/4 (and 1.4X teleconverter), then my 500mm f/4. But starting in 2016, and ever since, my preferred lens has been Nikon’s excellent (and reasonably priced!) 200-500mm f/5.6. For me, it’s the perfect combination of size with great sharpness and zoom range. I always bring along two camera bodies: a full frame (FX in Nikon speak) and a cropped sensor (APS-C, or DX with Nikon). To make the most of my telephoto lens, I use it mostly with the DX body, which has been the Nikon D500 since it came out. I keep a mid-range zoom on the FX (full-frame body, the Nikon Z 6 and Nikkor 24-120mm f/4 for this trip). Most of my photography is done with the telephoto, but you’ll have occasional moments where a wider lens is the right choice for landscape-type photos.
Most people are surprised how little camera gear I actually take with me to Tanzania. Everything fits in a relatively small backpack (the Thinktank Airport Essentials), including two Nikon cameras, three Nikon lenses (200-500mm, 24-120mm and 20mm 1.8), four batteries and charger, filters for my Infrared converted camera (the Z 6), extra memory cards and a 13-inch MacBook Pro with power block.
As you can see, a lot goes into both the planning and execution of a trip like this, but it’s well worth it. Whenever I hear the phrase “trip of a lifetime,” Tanzania and the Serengeti is what I think of. And now you know why I return, again and again, to share this amazing country with others.
– these are just a few of the photos from the trip. If you’d like to see a gallery all my favorites, click this link. I’ll probably return again in 2023, so if you’re interested in joining me on that adventure, let me know. If that timing doesn’t work for you, I’d be happy to connect you with our amazing lead guide Yusuf, who has his own safari tour company. I’ve sent many people to him (both for safari and climbing Kilimanjaro), and have heard nothing but rave reviews –
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Tents with their own bathroom and shower!- Reed puts a lot of thought into these trips.
OMGosh what a wonderful adventure you and the group had. It looked like the trip of a lifetime. Thanks for sharing your beautifully captured photos…I felt as if I was there!
loved your photographs, do you have any trips planned for Utah?
Thanks Mirza. I do a Moab trip every November, where we spend time in Arches and Canyonlands, and some less well-known areas nearby. This year’s trip is sold out, but I can put you on the “early notify” list for November of 2022.
Reed, Great story & terrific images! Glad you had a successful & safe trip. Welcome back!