Icebreaker

By Melanie

Using pure New Zealand merino wool Icebreaker have come up with a product that excels. A pleasure to wear, it is at all times functional and durable.

Merino wool has a property that will appeal to all travellers in that it takes some very extended use before it becomes smelly. Even when it does, it is no big deal to rinse it out, as in most conditions it will dry overnight.

It will keep you warm in cold weather and, when the temperature heats up you will find it’s fashionable enough so that you can take off your outer layers in public.

For the ladies among you, they have a wide range of styles that mean you will retain your femininity without compromising your ‘outdoor image.’

Icebreaker have a number of products in their line, but the superfine lite and ultralite will appeal to many. Perhaps a tad expensive, but as a multifunctional garment for travel I think you will not be disappointed. I’ve worn several of their items over the past 18 months, from the cold and biting winds of a winter in Scotland to the tropical sun of Galapagos, I have no hesitation in recommending them.

Initially it was Rohan who introduced me to merino wool. Unfortunately they have not continued the product, though I have to admit it was nowhere near as durable as the items I have used from the Icebreaker range.

Available widely in the UK and US, see their website for availability in other countries.

By Melanie

Though from the name they appear two separate islands Lewis and Harris are in fact one landmass with an artificial separation created in the past by a division in the Clan MacLeod. Lewis makes up the northern two-thirds of the island with Harris to the south.

Why Go?

A trip to the Western Isles is a little like stepping back in time, in some spots you feel you have stepped back ten years, in others twenty, and in others many, many more.

It is a land that is wild and rugged, dramatic in places from the cliffs of the north east of Lewis and the mountains of Harris to the calm serenity of the machair in spring and the peace of the long silver sands on a windless day. You will find ancient relics that are worth visiting simply for the experience of being there, though in the ever-changing light produced by the weather from the Atlantic you will want to get your camera out of its bag to capture some of the wild beauty of times past.

How To Get There

You can fly to Stornoway and pick up a hire car, or you can travel by car crossing by CalMac ferry from either Uig on Skye to Tarbert or from Ullapool to Stornoway.

My Trip

My trip here was in March 2007, staying a week on Lewis and a week on Harris. I travelled by car via the CalMac ferry from Uig to Tarbert. Driving conditions between Broadford and Uig were not the best and it was with a measure of apprehension that I arrived at a ferry terminal empty apart from two vans. We did sail, the crossing was rough but otherwise uneventful. It transpired this was the last crossing to the island for several days and by the following weekend the supply of petrol and diesel was almost non-existent. That the weather was this wild I took as being normal, even when I had some difficulty opening the door of the car because of the strength of the wind. It was not a pleasant drive from Tarbert to my first destination, Aird Uig, a rocky headland on the west coast of Lewis, overlooking the Atlantic Ocean. All the way I could see images to capture if the conditions had been just a little kinder.

My self-catering accommodation, The Guard House, was cavernous with a choice of rooms to sleep in. I was a little concerned about the heating, which was powered by a coal-fired Rayburn, but was assured by the caretaker that it kept the place ‘as warm as toast.’ My concerns were not unfounded: there were the ‘epic’ trips out to get in the coal, which meant donning the warmest clothes I had with waterproofs and wellies; having to light the thing to warm up and dry out after a day out and waking up each morning in the cold even if I’d stoked it to the top before going to bed each night. There was a good selection of reading material, local information, a well equipped kitchen, a choice of bathrooms and a restaurant next door (closed as I was there out of season).

My first photographic foray was about an hour after I arrived: a short break in the cloud found me heading by foot down a track to a small bay below the house. Near disaster followed:

I was engulfed by a wave that sent the camera and myself reeling. I beat a rapid retreat, stopping briefly to dry off the camera with my microfibre towel. My heart was pounding and my hands shaking, but importantly we both survived.

After a night’s sleep interrupted by the howling wind, the next morning tried to dawn but didn’t, I was only too happy to stay in bed! My start to the week had been dramatic and in the week to follow there were some very trying conditions, but they did lead to some stunning breaks in the light. I saw some truly remarkable places and was struck by how even the most visited of spots retained  a mood of isolation.

True to form the weather broke on my last day, I took a trip up to the far north east of the island in an attempt to photograph the Butt of Lewis at the first light of day and a trip to Stornoway to stock up on supplies and fill up the tank with diesel that was just starting to be delivered after the cancelled ferry crossings in the previous days.

How different was to be my experience with Harris: calm winds, sunny skies and mountains. My accommodation here was in Stable Cottage, one of four rental properties at Borvemor Cottages a different kettle of fish to The Guard House. Now I had instant, at the touch of a button, electrical central heating but was lacking in home comforts. So not luxurious but entirely practical and functional with its own highland cow

and a delightful, dune backed beach just a two-minute stroll away across a field. Famed for its beaches Harris has more than just these to offer. Visit Undiscovered Scotland to give you a flavour of what else there is to see. I spent several pleasant days exploring and trying to capture some of its allure and charm and had to fight with a brief return of the elements for just one of my days there. Of course it was the battling with the elements that again resulted in the best light.

Personal Highlights

The light at Callainish in the break between hail showers
The light at Callainish IV (Ceann Hulavig)
Sunsets from the beach at Borvemoor
Rainbows at Huisinis
The lighthouse at Eilean Glas

Personal Lowlights

Bright blue sky, with no clouds at Eilean Glas
Keeping warm at Aird Uig
Not appreciating the distances to travel and arriving for sunrise and missing it
Not having the long lens when I spotted an eagle
Fatigue at the end of two weeks of exploring new locations.

Photography tips - based on personal experience

Read as much about your location as you can before you go, trawl the websites and look at the work of others, to give you ideas.

Check out the tide times.

Study some OS maps of the region, I would not have visited Calanais IV, if I’d not seen it on a map.

Be prepared for all the weather the Atlantic can throw at you, make sure you have some sort of protection for your camera, try Claire’s solution or if you want something more expensive try the Kata Elements Cover, don’t rely on an umbrella unless you want to emulate Mary Poppins.

For this trip I had my 5D, the 1DN MKII,  with 17-40L, 28-70L and 100-400 IS L lenses. Velbon CF tripod with grip head,  and a selection of ND grads and a polariser.I could have managed without the 1DN MKII, but I always like to have a spare body.

When the light is good

Get out, stay out and keep looking. Revisit the spots you saw in bad light and make the most of them.

When the light is bad

Get out and take some reminder shots, so you can revisit when things look better. Practice composition.
Go look for wildlife.
Have a nap you may need it.

Travel Tips - based on personal experience

Don’t underestimate travelling times on the single-track roads

When you pass a shop, ask yourself: ‘is there anything I need?’

Be prepared to make yourself conspicuous on Sunday’s, the Sabbath is strictly observed, don’t expect to find a pub/restaurant open, don’t expect to be able to buy petrol and don’t hang out your laundry!

The main supermarket is in Stornoway, though you may be surprised what some of the community stores have to offer.

Be prepared for some long daylight hours, remember how far north you are.

Sign posts are more often that not in Gaelic, you have been warned.

Will I go again?

Definitely, next time not alone. Keeping up the enthusiasm in the conditions I experienced was difficult towards the end of the two weeks. A like-minded companion is invaluable.

Recommended Reading

The Soap Man by Roger Hutchinson.   The story of Lord Leverhulme and the Islanders.

Children of the Blackhouse by Calum Ferguson

Walks in the Western Isles by Mary Welsh, another delightful walking guide from this author with illustrations by Christine Isherwood.

The Rough Guide to Scottish Highlands and Islands armchair reading and practical information for those who do not want to trawl the net.

UK travellers. PTR recommendations for insurance:

Travel insurance and camera insurance.

Melanie: A couple of months ago I suggested to Claire that we have a weekend away in December, she came up with what turned out to be a fantastic suggestion: Anglesey, and to be more specific with an objective Llanddwyn Island. Not long after we had a couple more interested parties to join us.

As always, the problem with anywhere in Britain there is no guarantee of the weather. My heart was sinking as I left a snow covered Cumbria in the early hours of Friday morning to reach a sunrise point on the way. I’d seen many pictures of the Point of Ayr Lighthouse at Talacre and thought it would make a good stop on the journey and encourage me to leave home early. After days of perfect calm and frost at home I was greeted on arrival by a howling wind and spitting rain. I got some light but not the kind of light I was expecting:

Claire : What a shot Mel! Rainbows are your signature and I’d love to read a PTR review from you on them so I can get a few tips.

We hadn’t planned it but this weekend turned out to be one almost entirely devoted to lighthouses.

Melanie: Thanks Claire I will try to remember that. The rain well and truly came down as the rainbow got brighter and soon saw me back on the road. After a detour in Bangor to stock up on groceries I met up with one of our party at the parking area for Llanddwyn Island. The light promised little, but spurred on by my companion we headed to the beach and the walk along it to the island. The island itself is only an island at the highest tides but the wind that day was fierce and it was not without some concern that we crossed the sandy causeway, with waves rushing towards us from the west. I had studied the tide times, and was reassured by a guy in a Land Rover doing maintenance work that at most we might get cut off for 30 mins or so. We struck up a march to the end of the island but my companion stopped at the sight of a small herd of ponies I was ready to walk by. Not to be left out, I duly got the camera out of my bag and approached the ponies slowly. Only then did I realise I had on my widest angle lens, so had to creep in even further.

The glow of light that had stopped us here was brief, so we soon headed to the tip of the island to its beaches, cliffs, buildings and relics that give the place so much character. There was a stormy mood to the sky that drew us initially to a high vantage point taking in  St Dwynwen’s Cross and the lighthouse of Twr Mawr. This required heavy use of grads and underexposure. It was a spot I went back to after the sun had gone down and took advantage of a different angle.

In between the two shots we were joined by our two other companions and Misty the dog who was having a fine time exploring the place. (Please be aware that we were there in December, between May 1st and September 30th dogs are not allowed on the island or the beach, there are clear signs indicating this.) The clouds remained dramatic and the mood dark we set off in different directions and got busy with our cameras. It must have been close to another two hours before we had some fun trying to find our way back to the car park in the dark.

Claire : On Saturday morning we arrived at Newborough Warren in the dark, with stars in the sky. I was very glad that the others in the party had checked this site out the day before as it was a long walk through  dark woods, to avoid a hard walk through soft sand, before we reached Llanddwyn Island. The sky began to glow but it was obvious a good sunrise would elude us as it was far too clear. After wandering around a bit I settled down to doing what I like best – playing with the surf.

One of the reasons I had been interested in this location was the view one gets across the straits to the  Snowdonia Mountains (as seen in Mel’s atmospheric shot above) but without a decent sky it was a bit disappointing and until dawn broke there were too many lights from the towns spoiling the view. This therefore was a compromise.

As the day progressed I continued to find ways to exclude that sky. We must have been the only people in the UK complaining about the sun!

As Mel has said the island has lots of relics and interesting structures – these are the Pilot’s Cottages, one of which is now a museum.

Mel: After our visit the evening before I found the cloudless skies of the next morning something of a challenge. I wandered around, not seeing stuff with my favourite from the morning being one taken early and even then perhaps a little late as the colours in the sky were on the wane.

Mel: Somehow  everyone managed to spend at least another 3 hours or so there such is the amount of interest around the place. As we made our way back to the car park we happened on a number of camera clutching individuals and were thankful for our early start as we had the best light of the morning to ourselves.

Claire: So it was back to base, and lunch sat outside in the garden (December, Wales and lunch outside are words rarely seen together!) while we recharged our batteries and decided on the evening shoot. It was decided to explore the western coastline and we headed towards South Stack Lighthouse.

This proved a difficult location as the gate to the actual island that the lighthouse is on was closed and there wasn’t a great angle to exclude the sky. We sat it out hoping for a sunset to add some drama but it wasn’t to be. This is the best I could achieve but gives an idea of the location.

Melanie: I failed to get anything I was pleased with from here. Again it was the absence of cloud in the sky and I was concentrating too much on the setting sun to think about going in closer and keeping out the sky. I like the way Claire found this ‘cruciform’ composition.If you look close you can just see another of our group blancing on a rock closer to the lighthouse!

Claire: The following morning we woke well before dawn, defrosted the cars and arrived at Penmon Point (Angelsey east coast) as the sky was beginning to lighten. We were greeted by the sound of a tolling bell that told us the direction to walk to find Penmon Lighthouse. A small concrete path led us safely down to the shore. The next few hours found us totally absorbed as the sun rose, the tide fell and clouds came and went.

Melanie: I’d forgotten about the bell. The frost of the night before gave us clear skies once more, but arriving in the dark meant we could get in some long exposures. It was a little tricky finding a spot to stand having to negotiate the slithering, seaweed-covered rocks.

Claire: It took quite some time for the sun to climb high enough to strike the lighthouse due to the mountains on the Welsh mainland but it was a pleasure to stand and watch the changing light.

Melanie: As we watched and waited cloud started to drift in.  By the time the sun broke through we finally got some of the sky detail that we’d been missing for the previous 24 hours.

Claire: The small island is called Puffin Island. The Puffins bred in considerable numbers at one time, with up to 2,000 pairs recorded. The Brown Rat was introduced accidentally to the island, probably in the late 19th century, and reduced this population to a very few pairs. A programme of poisoning these rats started in 1998 by the Countryside Council for Wales appears to have eradicated them, and the Puffin population has shown an increase since that date.

Melanie: I think we spent another hour here after the sun broke through and sadly it was time to say our goodbyes. As we drove back along the road to Beaumaris, it was clear looking back that there was a lot more to that little area than we had realised in the dark. I think it is the only UK trip I’ve been on when I’ve been without the appropriate OS map, I won’t do that again.

Conclusion

Melanie: For a short break I felt this was a very worthwhile trip. It was not as far from home as I had expected, our accommodation was good value for money. Llanddwyn was a real gem but it was clear the area had a lot more to offer than we had time to see.

Photo by Dougie Salteri

Mellon Udrigle is a small crofting community that sits at the end of a single-track road, North of the village of Laide in Wester Ross, North West Scotland.

( Mellon fom the Gaelic for ‘little hill’ and udrigle being derived from Norse and meaning ‘gully’ or cleft).

My first visit there was close to five years ago when I was new to photography, and though I thought I knew something about light my technical knowledge was minimal.

I had been staying down the road in Laide when I first visited the beach at Mellon Udrigle in the early evening. My memory is one of rocks glowing pink in the late rays of the day and a vista of magnificent mountains beyond. My attempts to capture it did not do the place justice, though the memory is there.

My second visit was in November 2008, I decided to stay at Mellon Udrigle this time. The first day was one of sunshine and showers, it was a pleasure to be able to dash back inside after each drenching. There were some good moments in the week, but I felt the spot had a lot more to offer.

Having recently acquired the Canon EOS-1Ds Mark III, and not having had the opportunity to put it to the test I decided to travel back North to this spot of memories and take the camera with me.

The drive north was not promising, nor was the forecast and it was with something of a heavy heart that I arrived in Ullapool. I’d arranged to spend my first night in a B&B and had had a vision of visiting some spots I knew in Inverpolly and the coast around Achiltibuie. Let’s just say I visited the spots, and they are still in my list of places to visit again. The  B&B, was delightful with very welcoming hosts.  A fellow guest, who I know only as John, was a fascinating character from Belgium. He knows the Highlands like the back of his hand having spent many vacations there. He did not have his own transport and, as many times before was using public transport, the Post Bus and Shanks’ Pony to get around. He is a wonderful artist, I did get to see a couple of his pieces of work one being a beautiful picture of the island of St Kilda. What was most impressive was that he will not paint a mountain unless he has climbed it. I wonder if there is a photographer out there who does the same?

After a disappointing dawn and a wander to scout a couple of new spots I’d seen on the map, I took the road back to Ullapool. Stopped for groceries in the former Somerfield (now Tesco) and managed again to part with some money in the Ullapool Bookshop.

I arrived at Mellon Udrigle too soon to get in the chalet, but a walk in the brisk wind around the headland watching the Arctic Skuas, cormorants and the odd gannett and the view over the silver, sandy channel to Opinan soon took care of the time.

The next 24 hours continued much in the same vein as the light was concerned but, as I’d journeyed north immediately from work I was ready for some rest. In retrospect that was about the only rest I got for the week, apart from the four hours sleep at night! After the first couple of days of grey and rain, someone decided to switch the lights on and it was time to get out and play.

Having murdered, by drowning a 5D and a 20D, and having had a close shave with a 10D and a rock  I wanted something that might have a better chance of survival. I recalled  a story about Andy Rouse dropping a 1D series camera in the sea and that it had survived. As a fan of getting my feet wet I had hankered after the 1Ds Mkll, but with the Mklll on the market I knew I’d buy it at some point.

What had put me off most was the knowledge I would have to upgrade a pile of stuff to go with it.

My main camera for the past 3 years has been the 5D, and it has served me well. I found it easy to use and the menus easy to navigate. I’ve shot some with the 1D MkllN mainly for wildlife so I have some experience with the weight and feel of the series in my hands. Unfortunately I find landscape photography not as sedentary a pursuit as its wildlife counterpart. My experience of running around with the extra weight on my back was limited. But, you know, you get used to it, or I seem to have done so far. That’s with a heavier tripod too, the last gave up the ghost on the Mull/ Ardnamurchan trip.

This was my real first test of the camera. So far I am pleased with the results. Some good results using higher ISO’s, a big and clear LCD screen and rock solid to hold. After a dreary start to the trip there was a lightshow, with a sunrise the like of which  I’ve not seen for a long, long time. I could turn a 360 degree circle and there was red in the sky in all directions. It was difficult to know in which direction to point the lens.

I will let the images speak for themselves, but it may take a while and a good deal more shooting to share a critical review of the camera.

Accommodation

192 Polbain (B&B)

Clean, warm and very homely with views out to the Summer Isles from your window. Midge my hostess was very understanding. She let me have a light breakfast and made me up a packed lunch with gourmet bacon sandwiches, enough for two people. It is possible to walk from the door onto the surrounding hills, where you will find more than a boulder or two to set the scene against. There is a bar a little further up the road that does evening meals in season.

Ceol Na Mara (self catering)

Basic, but easily adequate, self-catering chalets on the beach. Separate laundry facilities. Plenty of parking. One of the best settings you could have, you only have to open the door and walk out. If you’re too lazy to do that then you can sit and watch the light paint its magic from the window.

Kildonan (self catering)

Five years since I stayed here. Very clean and comfortable with all the facilities you might want. A short walk through a field down to a rocky shore with bags of interest for photographers. Be prepared to wake up early, the sunrise from here can be magnificent.

Best time to go

Late spring, before the midges get going and autumn when the colours in the trees aroud Gruinard Bay, Loch Maree and the Badachro are should be stunning (if conditions have been favourable the fungi are amazing).  Winter can have it’s magic, but many may find it too bleak and wet and there few facilities open to divert your attention.

Other places to visit in the area

Just a very small sample of what there is to see, but places I have visited and spent some time at are:

Loch Maree and Torridon

Shieldaig, by the Applecross Peninsula

Inverpolly, Achiltibuie and the Summer Isles.

Loch Assynt and the Stoer Peninsula

The Lighthouse at Rhue and Ullapool (Pay a visit to the Ceilidh Place while in Ullapool. Great place for a coffee or a beer, good food, artwork and a bookshop to browse for titles of local interest).

Gruinard Bay

When the light is bad

Sit back and listen to the sound of the wind and the rain. Go look for otters, take a boat trip to look for wales and porpoise. Look for macro stuff on the beach. Look at your maps and guide books and go out to scout different locations.

Dundonnell Woodland

When the light is good

Keep going, you don’t know when it’s going to get better.

Melanie, May 2009.

Photographic Ups and Downs, South Africa

By Melanie

Speciality holiday; arranged by the renowned tour company, Explore.

Trip undertaken August 2005

Price: £2699, with a local payment of £225. (2005 cost)

(Not in their current itinerary.)

Why go?

There were two sentences in the trip dossier that led me to believe this trip was made for me:

‘On this exciting new route we combine visits to private Wildlife Reserves with classic and lesser-known national parks to provide a real contrast of game, birdlife, scenery and flora.’

‘The magnificent Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park – - – - is the real highlight – - – evoking images of shimmering landscapes, rolling red sand dunes, saltpans and vast African skies.

Ideal, I thought, a combination of landscapes (my first love) and wildlife (being a complete novice) with the leader a photography specialist on hand to provide expert tuition and advice.

Itinerary:

Day 1.  Fly from London to Johannesburg.  Collected from airport by tour leader and guides. Drive to and visit the De Wildt Cheetah Conservation Project .  One night, D, B&B at the De Wildt Cheetah Lodge.

Day 2-4. Drive to Pilanesberg National Park, 2 nights D, B&B at the Bakubung Lodge Hotel. Twice daily game drives.

Day 4. Early morning game drive in Pilanesberg, followed by a drive to Kuruman Red Sands Country Lodge. 2 nights D, B&B

Day 5. Raptor Centre visit

Day 6. Drive to Twee Rivieren, Kgalagadi National Park, stopping en route for provisions. All our accommodation in the park is self-catering, with guides producing the main meals. One nights’ cottage accommodation.

Day 7-8. Drive to Nossob, with game viewing on the way. 2 nights’ cottage accommodation.

Day 9 & 10. Mata Mata . Initial plans had been to stay at the Mata Mata rest camp, instead we stayed at the Kalahari Tented Camp

Day 11. Augrabies Falls. One night, bungalow accommodation with catering by the wildlife guides.

(The plan had been to spend 2 nights in Augrabies, but the leader decided to break up the journey to Cape Town with the lure of seeing the spectacle of Namaqua Land in flower.)

Day 12. Drive to Springbok with a one night stay at Annie’s Cottage , breakfast included

Day 13. Drive from Springbok to Cape Town. Cape Town Hollow Hotel for 3 nights. Breakfast included.

Transport from Johnannesburg to Cape Town, including all game drives, was in specially adapted long wheelbase 4X4′s.

Day 14. Cape Peninsula National Park , including Hout Bay,  the Cape of Good Hope and the Jackass penguin colony at Boulders Beach

Day 15. Cape Town and Whale watching  at Hermanus.

Day 16. Table Mountain and home.

(Transport while in Cape Town was in a minibus, with local guide and driver.)

Highlights

Not having been on a safari before it was thoroughly enjoyable to see the animals and birds of Africa in their natural habitat. Among the memorable moments were: seeing a leopard catch the rising sun high on the skyline then watching it walk down the hill to cross the road in front of us,

Observing a female cheetah and her three offspring organise themselves for a hunt, watching raptors fighting, seeing the herds of elephant in Pilanesberg and hearing the lions roaring at night from our beds at Nossob Rest Camp  The animals and birds around the rest camps provided excellent photographic subjects for myself as a wildlife novice, there was more time to pursue them and you were outside the confines of the vehicle.

The colours of the Kgalagadi were incredible, as were many of the landscapes we drove through travelling between the parks. After close to a week in the dust of the desert Annie’s Cottage was a welcome gem, we were able to wash off the grime with a real bath.Cape Town was delightful, full of life and a wealth of photo opportunities.

With Table Mountain on the doorstep of the very comfortable Cape Town Hollow Hotel it was difficult to want more.

Lowlights

The real frustration of the trip was not having the opportunity for landscape photography. Outside the rest camps, picnic areas and the very sparse hide, you are not allowed out of your vehicle. Landscape photography from a vehicle, just isn’t the same as getting out your tripod and on your knees.

Our tour leader, despite the trip description, was not forthcoming with his photographic expertise. The majority of the group felt he had his own agenda, and were of the opinion he was using the trip as reconnaissance to design his own tours. He did not join us for two of our days in Cape Town but went about doing his own thing. When the best wildlife photographic opportunities presented themselves he kept his eye fixed to his own viewfinder and did not return the courtesy of moving seat to allow others to get a chance of a shot.

I was sorry we did not have the planned 2 nights at Augrabies Falls NP, as here there were walking trails and the rock formations were magical. In addition to losing a night in Augrabies, we were told we had missed the flowers in Namaqualand, we did witness many by the roadside making me question that statement.

Having looked forward so much to seeing penguins in the wild Boulders Beach was a disappointment. In order to help protect the colony, wooden walkways have been constructed; there is an entrance building where you pay a fee both of which made the place feel more like a zoo.

Recommendations based on my own experience

If you are planning photography go either with a reputable, dedicated photo guide/operator or do it yourself.

The programme covered some long distances meaning valuable ‘shooting time’ was wasted while ‘on the road’. In the future I would restrict myself to just one or two specific regions with more time to spend getting to know the area, the animals and their movements.

If you visit the Kgalagadi in the winter make sure you take some warm clothes. The trip information we were given was to take a fleece and windproof jacket as the nights could get cold. Despite that on many early morning drives most of us were bitterly cold, that the tour leader was wearing a down jacket tells you something about the organisation of this particular trip!!!

For those travelling independantly, you cannot use credit cards to purchase petrol in South Africa, make sure you have cash to hand for this.

Recommended Photo Gear

At the time of the trip I had Canon 10D and 20D bodies. I left a wide-angle (17-40L) on the 10D and used the 100-400 IS L on the 20D. Now I have the faster 1Ds MKIIN, I would take that. I would love to have a long, fast prime lens, but as primarily a landscape tog, I can’t justify the money. My advice would be to take what you will find most versatile and the best quality you can afford. If you are primarily a wildlife photographer, you don’t need any advice from me! If you have two DSLR bodies, keep your long lens permanantly fixed to one to prevent the ingress of dust onto the sensor.

Dust is a big problem, try to keep your camera covered in the vehicle and if you are not using it than keep it in a zipped bag. Take something to clean your sensor, the Arctic Butterfly is ideal.

In a shared vehicle a beanbag is indispensable. I use this one,  you can position it quickly and can keep it handy by your feet. You may consider the Ergorest.

If space is short you may be well advised to leave your tripod at home, the times you will use it are few and far between.

Peculiar to South Africa are the round pin electrical plugs needed and you will need to take your own adapter UK ,  US with you to the rest camps. Voltage 220/230 volts AC 50Hz. Visitors from the US may need a transformer.

When to go

The African winter (June – September) is best for wildlife. This is the dry season and the animals will congregate towards water. Vegetation for camouflage will be at a minimum.

Will I go again?

Explore generally provide a high quality of service and I suspect this trip was not one of their best. It has now been dropped from their program. I would highly recommend the Kgalagadi National Park, it is a true wilderness and the wildlife watching opportunites can be fantastic. Rest Camps within the National Parks of South Africa are very reasonably priced. I would love to go the Kgalagadi again, but would do the trip independently or with the help of a service such as The Tourist’s Friend .

Namibia and Botswana are next on my wish list of safari destinations, I will take with me much that I learned from this trip.

As it did not live up to its description with the tour leader lacking in enthusiasm for guidance and sharing. In the absence of our tour leader it could have easily been a 4 star trip as the wildlife guides/drivers were excellent.

Recommended Reading

Lonely Planet Wildlife photography: A Guide To Taking Better Pictures by Andy Rouse

The Power of One by Bryce Courtney (fiction)

Lonely Planet Watching Wildlife: Southern Africa