PHOTOGRAPHIC SAFARIS to AFRICA
with African Encounter - Your Travel & Adventure Specialist to Africa

Welcome to our collection of PHOTOGRAPHIC WORKSHOPS & TOURS to Africa. We trust you will find a safari tour that excites and appeals to your sense of adventure.

Please take a moment to read about our travel philosophy and modular approach below. Each phoyographic safari is designed to incorporate:

Our Travel Philosophy
Over many years of travelling in Africa and advising others on their safari plans we have developed some of our own unique travel philosphies which we have tried to incorporate into each of our tours. Each of the countries that feature in our PHOTOGRAPHIC SAFARIS have their own quirks and idiosynchracies. Each is best done in a certain style. Safari camps and lodges vary greatly in levels of luxury - some purposefully maintain an authentic rusticness that is part of their charm - others have adopted a "luxury at all costs" approach. In the main, we believe that a safari is about the wildlife, and about experiencing the wilderness as it must have been hundred of years ago as well as meeting the people and getting to know what affects their lives. A safari should not merely become a sanitised glimpse of Africa's fabulous wildlife. You will also notice that we have not tried to cram as many locations as possible into each itinerary - constantly moving from one place to another is both tiring and costly (in terms of time and money). We recommend spending more time in each location, getting to know the ebbs and flows of that place whilst getting in tune with the people and the wiildlife - you will find that your hosts will respect this too.

Special Interest tours
Our PHOTOGRAPHIC SAFARIS are designed with the requirements of a keen photographer in mind with itineraries created to meet the needs of such a special interest group. This includes an experienced and knowledgeable guide able to help you achieve a higher level of proficiency with your wildlife, landscape and people photography. Around this core itinerary we have selected a range of tour extensions that offer alternative destination options that can be 'clipped' on to the core itinerary with ease. Each are costed separately so that you can select the combination of tour extensions that best suits both your budget and what you want to see and do on your safari.

Outstanding Value
A safari to Africa cannot be described as an inexpensive holiday option, but when you take into account the extent and quality of the inclusions, together with the sheer uniqueness of the experience, the remoteness of many of the locations and the fact that most prices are all inclusive - we do feel that an African safari represents outstanding value.

Without compromising on quality we have made our accommodation and destination selections so as to ensure that each tour represents value for money. We have added those small extras that can truly 'make' a safari but have been careful to exclude options that do not 'add value' to the safari experience.

Exceptional Service
We pride ourselves on the exceptionally high standard of service that we provide our clientele - both in the planning of your safari and during your trip through our associates on the ground in Africa. We understand that for many this is a once in a lifetime experience - we will not disappoint you.

Unique & Exciting tours
Each of our tours is a unique combination of not just the fabulous wildlife and stunning landscapes, but also the opportunity to meet the people and take part in some unique and exciting activities - ballooning over the Serengeti, canoeing down the mighty Zambezi river or perhaps star-gazing the vast skies of the Namib Desert.

Fully Inclusive
Where possible we have included all fees and charges that you will incur on safari - all accommodation, all meals, nearly all your activities, National Park fees, emergency evacuation cover, VAT, local tourism levies and airport departure taxes. Unfortunately, we are unable to include some airline taxes as these are charged as surcharges and are not determined until the air tickets are actually issued. Likewise, items such as visas, laundry (where not included in the rate), drinks and gratuities are for the account of each individual. We also strongly advise taking out travel insurance at the time of paying your initial deposit.

Our Photo Tours

Serengeti Photo Tour - featuring Mt Kilmanjaro, Ngorongoro & Serengeti (April 2009) with Ewen Bell

South Luangwa Workshops - featuring Nkwali & Nsefu Camps, South Luangwa, Zambia (March & May 2008) with David Rogers

On Safari in Africa Photo Tour - featuring Mala Mala, Mashatu & Parc National des Volcans (July 2009) with Ken Duncan