Luxury Wildlife Photography Safari in Botswana
10 Days Across Chobe, Khwai & the Okavango Delta. Designed for Photographers by Photographers.
Operated by
Finisterra Travel
Priority Access Starts Here
For five consecutive years, our photography workshops have sold out within 72 hours of launch. Join the priority waitlist to receive first access to Botswana 2028 before registration opens publicly.
Three distinct regions. Three completely different ways to photograph Botswana.
From the Chobe River to a private waterhole camp in Khwai and deep into leopard country in the southern Okavango Delta, every stop has been chosen for exceptional access, photographic variety and more meaningful time with wildlife.
Dates:
June 10–19, 2028
4 Equal Payments of:
$4,375 USD
(Taxes Included)
Duration:
10 Days / 9 Nights
Dry Season Brings Everyone To The Water
Chobe River Front
Days 1 to 3 - June 10th-13th, 2028
We begin on the Chobe River, where the dry season draws wildlife from across the landscape toward the water.
Forming the northern boundary of Chobe National Park, the riverfront becomes a remarkable gathering place in June. Large herds of elephants arrive to drink and bathe, hippos fill the channels, buffalo move across the floodplains, and lions roam through the surrounding landscape. The concentration and variety make Chobe one of southern Africa’s most rewarding places for wildlife photography.
We experience it from two very different perspectives. By vehicle, we follow the park’s designated tracks through the floodplains and woodland. Then we take to the water, photographing from a low vantage point as elephants descend the banks, buffalo come in to drink, hippos surface nearby and waterbirds gather along the shoreline.
With private boat access for our group, we have the flexibility to spread out and give everyone the space to photograph comfortably. Being just metres from elephants and buffalo along the shoreline offers an entirely different perspective from a safari vehicle, and is one of the experiences that makes Chobe so special.
The birdlife is equally impressive. Chobe supports an exceptional diversity of species across its reeds, sandbanks and woodland edges, with opportunities to photograph from the water, along the riverfront and even from your private deck between activities.
Three Nights on the Banks of the Chobe
For our first three nights, we stay on the banks of the Chobe River in an intimate, privately owned eco-lodge surrounded by indigenous riverine forest.
The chalets are built using locally sourced materials and eco-beam and sandbag construction, designed to blend into the landscape while remaining cool and comfortable. River-view chalets look directly across the Chobe, giving us a quiet place to watch the river between activities.
Sustainability is part of how the lodge operates every day. A natural swimming pool is filtered entirely by plants, building methods are chosen with the surrounding environment in mind, and food choices and employment practices are approached responsibly. Meals feature African-fusion cuisine made with locally sourced ingredients, while the lodge also supports the local school and surrounding community.
Our activities are led by experienced local guides and explore Chobe from both land and water. Activities and dining are private for our group, giving us more space and flexibility throughout our stay.
What Each Day Holds
We head out early in the morning and again later in the afternoon, with time on the river woven between our game drives. The combination keeps each day varied, moving between Chobe National Park and the water without repeating the same experience twice.
We also have the opportunity to cruise to the confluence of the Chobe and Zambezi Rivers, where Botswana, Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe meet at a single geographical point.
A guided village experience gives us a chance to step beyond the safari experience and learn more about local customs, daily life and the community surrounding Chobe.
Your Stay at a Glance
What's Included:
Three nights, June 10 to June 13, 2028
Fully inclusive stay with accommodation, all meals, fees and activities on offer
Local spirits, wine and beer
Private activities and dining for our group
Return road transfers between Kasane Airport [BBK] and our Chobe accommodation
Not Included:
International flights
Visas
Gratuities
Personal travel insurance
A Front-Row Seat to the Waterhole
Khwai Private Reserve
Days 4 to 6 - June 13th to 16th, 2028
On June 13, we leave Chobe and fly into Khwai Private Reserve, a vast private wilderness on the north-eastern edge of the Okavango Delta.
Covering approximately 180,000 hectares, Khwai borders Moremi Game Reserve to the south and Chobe National Park to the east. Riverine forest, seasonal floodplains, open grasslands, mopane woodland, winding channels and lagoons create a remarkably varied landscape, supporting an equally diverse range of wildlife.
Elephant and giraffe move through from the north, while buffalo and zebra arrive from the south. Hippos occupy the waterways, and kudu, tsessebe, roan and sable are among the antelope found here.
Lion, leopard, cheetah and African wild dog also range through the reserve. With no fences separating Khwai from the surrounding wilderness areas, wildlife moves freely across this larger ecosystem.
Three Nights Beside a Wildlife Waterhole
For these three nights, the entire camp is ours.
Set deep within the sandy mopane forests of the reserve’s drier interior, our camp overlooks a productive natural waterhole. That setting is what makes this stay so special. Wildlife moves through throughout the day, so some of the most memorable viewing may happen while we are back at camp between activities.
Eight canvas tents overlook the waterhole, including seven double or twin tents and one family unit. Each has an ensuite bathroom with an indoor shower, mosquito netting, solar power and charging facilities. The shared dining deck, lounge and swimming pool also face the water, so wildlife remains part of the experience, even during downtime.
We chose this camp for its setting and privacy, and for the rare chance to stay somewhere the wildlife experience continues long after the game drive ends.
What Each Day Holds
Morning and late afternoon game drives frame our days in Khwai.
One of the experiences we’re most excited about is the underground viewing hide. Set beside a busy waterhole, it brings us down to an exceptionally low photographic perspective while allowing us to remain still and let wildlife approach. With comfortable seating inside, we can settle in, watch and photograph without the limitations of shooting from a vehicle.
Walking safaris reveal an entirely different layer of Khwai. On foot, we start noticing the details that are easy to pass by from a vehicle: tracks, grasses, birds, trees and signs of movement through the bush. Our guide helps us read those clues and better understand the landscape around us.
And because Khwai is private concession land, we can stay out after dark. Night drives open up a completely different window into the reserve, with the chance to experience the nocturnal side of Khwai once the sun goes down.
Your Stay at a Glance
Included:
Three nights, June 13 to 16, 2028
Accommodation, all meals, fees and activities on offer
Local spirits, wine and beer
Exclusive use of the entire camp for our group
Flight from Kasane Airport [BBK] into Khwai Private Reserve on June 13
Not Included:
International flights
Visas
Gratuities
Personal travel insurance
Conservation Beyond the Safari
Khwai Private Reserve was historically used for hunting before being converted to a non-consumptive ecotourism concession.
Today, protecting this wilderness through tourism helps keep important habitat intact, providing refuge for wildlife, maintaining migration corridors and creating a buffer between wildlife and surrounding land uses.
That transition has been built through collaboration between the reserve, the Khwai Development Trust and surrounding communities, connecting conservation with sustainable economic opportunities for the people who live alongside this landscape.
The work also extends to individual species. Together with Maun Animal Welfare Society and Botswana Predator Conservation, the reserve supports the regular vaccination of domestic dogs around the Okavango Delta, helping reduce the risk of disease outbreaks spreading to African wild dog populations.
Into the Heart of Leopard Country
Southern Okavango Delta
Days 7 to 9 - June 16th to 19th, 2028
On June 16, we leave Khwai by helicopter and fly deeper into the southern Okavango Delta, arriving in one of Botswana’s largest wilderness concessions and some of its most remarkable leopard country.
The Xudum concession stretches across approximately 180,000 hectares of open grasslands, floodplains, clear lagoons, reeded islands, and riverine and mopane forest. It’s home to the third-highest recorded density of leopard in Africa.
This is the landscape wildlife filmmaker, Brad Bestelink, chose as the setting for Netflix’s Living With Leopards. He and his team spent years based in the concession filming its resident cats, and the documentary went on to receive five Emmy nominations in 2025. For us, there is something particularly exciting about finishing our journey in the same landscape where that story unfolded.
Leopard may be the headline here, but the wider ecosystem is just as impressive. Large numbers of elephant and buffalo move through the concession, alongside giraffe, zebra, wildebeest and antelope, including kudu, lechwe, bushbuck and tsessebe. Lion, African wild dog, hyena and cheetah are also found here, while smaller species include bat-eared fox, jackals, African wildcat, honey badger, meerkat and mongoose. After dark, porcupine, aardwolf, aardvark, civet and genet add an entirely different cast.
The birdlife is equally varied, with species including wattled crane, Pel’s fishing owl and martial eagle among those recorded in the concession.
The Only Camp for Miles
Our final camp is small, remote and exclusively ours.
Set among Mokolwane palms on the Matsebi river system, it’s the only camp for miles, with wilderness extending in every direction.
Seven raised canvas tents sit approximately ten feet above the ground among fig, jackalberry, ilala palm and wild mangosteen trees. Each has an ensuite bathroom with an indoor shower, mosquito netting, a ceiling fan and charging facilities.
The elevated setting gives us views across the surrounding landscape and seasonal floodwaters, while elephants frequently move through the area to feed on palm nuts, berries and wild figs. There’s also a swimming pool back at camp for the hours between activities.
We chose this camp for its isolation, its access to exceptional predator habitat and the opportunity to spend our final three nights surrounded by an enormous stretch of the southern Delta.
What Each Day Holds
Morning and late afternoon game drives take us across the concession in search of its resident predators, including leopard, lion, wild dog, hyena and cheetah. With such a strong concentration of carnivores, predator activity is one of the defining features of this part of the Delta.
As daylight fades, night drives give us the opportunity to stay out and look for species that are much more active after dark, from smaller predators to some of the Delta’s more elusive nocturnal animals.
When water levels allow, we can experience the Delta from a mokoro. Poled quietly through the waterways, lily pads and channels, it’s an entirely different way to experience the landscape and one of the experiences most closely associated with the Okavango.
Your Stay at a Glance
Included:
Three nights, June 16 to 19, 2028
Accommodation, all meals, fees and activities on offer
Local spirits, wine and beer
Exclusive use of the entire camp for our group
Helicopter transfer from Khwai into the southern Okavango Delta on June 16
Flight to Maun International Airport [MUB] on June 19
Not Included:
International flights
Visas
Gratuities
Personal travel insurance
Conservation Beyond the Safari
Khwai Private Reserve was historically used for hunting before being converted to a non-consumptive ecotourism concession.
Today, protecting this wilderness through tourism helps keep important habitat intact, providing refuge for wildlife, maintaining migration corridors and creating a buffer between wildlife and surrounding land uses.
That transition has been built through collaboration between the reserve, the Khwai Development Trust and surrounding communities, connecting conservation with sustainable economic opportunities for the people who live alongside this landscape.
The work also extends to individual species. Together with Maun Animal Welfare Society and Botswana Predator Conservation, the reserve supports the regular vaccination of domestic dogs around the Okavango Delta, helping reduce the risk of disease outbreaks spreading to African wild dog populations.
F.A.Q.
All workshop fees and dues are non-refundable.
You may choose to pay the workshop fee in full at the time of booking, or secure your place with a 25% non-refundable deposit. Final payment is due 60 days before departure.
If unforeseen circumstances prevent you from travelling, you are welcome to transfer or sell your place to another interested participant within your own personal network.
Important: If your remaining balance is not received by the payment due date, your reservation will be considered forfeited. All payments made to date will remain non-refundable, and your place may be released and offered to another interested participant.
Once Accepted: Once your request to join the workshop is accepted, we will provide you with a link to our secure payment portal where you can pay your deposit or full balance and complete the required waivers.
Are workshop fees refundable?
Yes. This safari is priced based on double occupancy.
You are welcome to register with your spouse, partner, friend or fellow photographer. Solo travellers are also welcome, and we will pair you with a same-sex roommate for the duration of the trip.
Is this trip based on double occupancy?
Participants are responsible for arranging their own international travel to Kasane Airport [BBK] for June 10, 2028, as well as their onward or international travel from Maun International Airport [MUB] after June 19, 2028.
Finisterra Travel can assist with coordinating and booking flights to help ensure your arrival and departure align with the group itinerary, but ultimately each participant is responsible for securing their own international airfare.
Once you arrive in Botswana, the scheduled road and air transfers included in our itinerary are arranged for you.
What flights do I need to arrange?
Are meals and alcoholic beverages included?
Are gratuities included?
What is not included in the trip price?
The following are not included:
International airfare to Botswana and onward travel from Maun
Visas and any required entry documentation
Gratuities for guides, camp teams and other staff
Personal travel insurance
Do I need travel insurance?
Health Insurance is Mandatory. Trip cancellation recommended.
For our Canadian friends, we recommend Manulife Insurance for general liability. Photographers might also consider Front Row Insurance or Arthur J. Gallagher Canada Limited for equipment coverage of items valued at more than $5,000 per item.
Yes. All three safari stays are fully inclusive, with accommodation, meals, conservation levies, domestic transfers/flights and activities on offer included throughout the journey.
Local spirits, wine and beer are also included during our stays.
No. Gratuities for guides, camp teams and other staff are not included in the trip price.
Tipping is customary on safari, and we will provide more detailed guidance before departure so everyone has a clear understanding of suggested amounts and how gratuities are handled throughout the trip.
Meet Our Partners
Finisterra Travel began in 2012, founded by seasoned traveller, Keri Montgomery. In 2015, Nicola Wilson, joined as a partner, bringing along a passion for in-depth cultural connections (and a love of food). Together, they built a company known for its women-led, women-only small group tours.
Since 2020, Follow Me North has hosted photography experiences with Keri and Nicola to help guests venture off the beaten path and experience nature in its purest form. Finisterra Travel specializes in small-group photography adventures to hidden corners of the world, places untouched by heavy foot traffic, where it's just us and the wild.
No one wants to feel like a tourist. That’s why Finisterra crafts custom journeys rooted in authenticity, whether you're joining one of their intimate group departures or extending your adventure post-workshop. Their unique, fully customizable itineraries showcase favourite destinations across Africa, Asia, Latin America, the Middle East, North America, and Europe.
Please Note: Follow Me North Photography is not a travel agency or tour operator, and does not sell or facilitate the sale of travel services. All travel arrangements, payments, and logistics for this trip are managed solely by Finisterra Travel, a licensed travel company (BC Reg. #70260), and proud members of the Adventure Travel Trade Association. Follow Me North is responsible for hosting and delivering photography instruction. Travel details and payment instructions will be sent to you after registration.
BC Reg 70260
What People Are Saying
“I'm still dreaming about my incredible trip to South Africa with Follow Me North last month! It was a bucket list trip for me, and Jesse and Susan made it a more incredible experience than I could have possibly imagined. They are two of the most warm, fun, and kind people I've met, and as a solo traveller, there was never a moment where I didn't feel included and comfortable. They put so much heart and care into every aspect of the trip and every single day was the best day ever!
I couldn't be more grateful for every sighting and special moment that we had, and the amazing photography assistance we received each day. Jesse and Susan made time for anyone who needed it, to work out settings, any issues we were having, and composition tips and reminders on game drives to help us get the best shots we could, along with editing help every afternoon during breaks.
I came home with so much more confidence in both my photography and editing (so much so that I ended up with 38,000 photos 🤭). For anyone on the fence about taking that bucket list trip, absolutely just do it, and make it even more memorable with Follow Me North!”
— Megan Corrigan
“5 STARS—A Once-in-a-Lifetine Safari Experience with Follow Me North.
From the moment we touched down in South Africa to the final sunset, this journey, led by Susan and Jesse Villemaire of Follow Me North, was nothing short of magical. Their passion, professionalism, and genuine warmth created an unforgettable experience for our group of photographers.
Every detail was masterfully planned, from seamless logistics to stunning accommodations and expertly guided safaris. Each day was filled with breathtaking wildlife encounters—lions, elephants, giraffes, wild dogs, rhinos—all under the iconic African light. Susan and Jesse curated not just a trip, but an adventure, blending photography, exploration, and community in the most meaningful way.
Their leadership turned a dream safari into a soul-stirring, life-changing experience. We returned home with full memory cards, fuller hearts, and memories that will last a lifetime. If you’re considering traveling with Follow Me North, don’t hesitate—this is the kind of trip that redefines what travel can be.”
— Laura Campbell
“After a two-week photography excursion to South Africa with Jesse and Susan I can honestly say that this is one of the most outstanding trips I have ever had the pleasure of taking.
Their attention to detail and extremely personal touches and attention to their guests is second to none.
They offered endless advice when needed in regards to shooting and were both an absolute joy to work with on a personal level.
GREAT humans, outstanding business.
HIGHLY RECOMMEND!!