
Botswana
June 7 – 15, 2024
The Indian state of Madhya Pradesh is known for its wildlife, particularly the elusive tiger. Join us for an exclusive small group photography safari in which you will be staying in luxury accommodations within the jungles of India, seeking to find the best possible wildlife sightings.
You’ll visit three distinct safari camps in Bandhavgarh, Kanha, and Pench National Parks. As usual, each passenger will have their own vehicle row to maximize photography opportunities.
At least 150 species of birds are in the parks, along with other mammals–tigers, sloth bear, langur monkeys, wild boar, mongoose, and three kinds of deer–Chital, Sambar, and Barking. Each vehicle will have local English-speaking guides to help identify all the wildlife.
At the end of a long safari day, take a hot shower and enjoy a drink by the fire before dinner, and just when you think the day is done, share your images with our instructor to learn more about your camera and compositional skills.
Our camps offer Muench-style comfort with all the expected amenities: fantastic food, luxurious accommodations with en-suite facilities, and hot showers. Expect to be immersed in photography and safari from sunrise until sunset.
India
$13,995
February 15 – 29, 2024
Open for Registration
Limited to 6 Guests
About the wildlife: This workshop offers significant opportunities for photographing wildlife, and while we do our best to maximize our wildlife encounters—based on past experiences, local knowledge, and the current conditions—we need to impress upon you that the wildlife really is wild and that we don’t control it.
This itinerary is subject to change due to weather, local conditions, and other factors.
February 15, 2024: Arrive anytime in Delhi and transfer to the hotel.
February 16, 2024: After a late breakfast, there will be a presentation to teach wildlife photography techniques. Enjoy lunch and dinner at the hotel while you get over any jet lag.
February 17–21, 2024: We’ll take a regional flight from Delhi to Jabalpur Airport, board a small private bus, and transfer to Bandhavgarh Jungle Lodge (approximate drive time of three hours). We’ll arrive late afternoon to check in and enjoy dinner.
The lodge is set amongst the Vindhya Hills within the mixed forest of bamboo, grassland, and deciduous forests.
This will be our first safari day, which means a wake-up knock by staff to present you with tea/coffee before walking to the jeep, surrounded by the sounds of calling birds. Safari begins at dawn, and everyone will be split up into three jeeps, all with a naturalist plus driver.
We’ll have a jungle safari and early lunch on the last morning. We’ll then board another private bus and drive through the countryside to our following location, Kanha National Park. Our drive will include stops and lunch in the sleepy town of Mandla, the sacred city of the Fond tribes, where the Narmada River begins. Drive time is approximately 6 hours.
February 22–25, 2024: Kanha Jungle Lodge was established in 1987 to provide an environmentally friendly experience within Kanha National Park.
The Chhota Nagpur Plateau offers incredible vistas of grassy plains and strands of sal forests. The lodge is within a 366-square-mile preserve.
Potential wildlife sightings include tiger, leopard, sloth bear, Barasingha, and wild dog. Perennial streams run through several meadows, providing water for the wildlife even during the hot summer. Kanha is known for its endangered swamp deer, or hard water Barasingha, which populate the large open grass tracks amidst the teak and bamboo forest. Brought back from the brink of extinction, these handsome animals are a remarkable conservation success story for Kanha.
February 25–28, 2024: Drive from Kanha Jungle Lodge to Pench National Park, where you’ll check in to the Jamtara Wilderness Camp.
We’ll have time to rest after a four-hour drive through the country, and you’ll have time to unpack for a few nights. The jungle opens up to savannah here, and there is a large variety of wildlife, including leopard, tiger, jungle cat, Dhole (wild dog), sloth bear, wild boar, mongoose, Gaur, and a high density of herbivores, including Cheetal (spotted deer) and Sambar.
Following three nights in camp, you’ll fly back to Delhi to be transferred to the Andaz Hotel for a final dinner and rest before heading home.
February 29, 2024: Fly home anytime.
In short, you'll feel like you're in a luxury hotel! We've handpicked these camps for comfort, knowledgeable and friendly staff, great food, and convenience to our main objective, the wildlife. We also place considerable value on photograph sightings. You won't find us in areas where dozens of other vehicles are at a sighting—you'll feel like you own the land and the animals are there just for you! Typical tented accommodations feature twin beds or queen beds, high thread-count linens, storage for clothing, a sitting area, a verandah, and en suite bathrooms with toilets, hot water, and showers. They are enormous in size, bright, open, and airy.
Our days start early, before sunrise. We'll have a quick coffee or tea, maybe a cookie, and off on our first game drive of the day. The animals are just starting to stir as the day begins, and we want to be there and in the best light. Depending on the sightings, we'll stay out for a few to several hours. After a mid-drive coffee break, we'll continue until mid to late morning. We typically have breakfast in the field to maximize our game-viewing and photographing time. Back in camp, it's time for offloading cards, one-on-one instruction, or just relaxing and doing nothing. Read a book, take a walk, or take a nap and recharge. Of course, there will be lunch, and then, in the mid to late afternoon, we'll again head out for another game drive, chasing the best sightings. Arrive back at camp after sundown, enjoy a hot shower if you like, and join us by the campfire or in the living area for cocktails, followed by dinner.
Food in our camps is superb—you'll be served dishes you know and local specialties, too. Of course, any dietary needs can be accommodated.
We've arranged for only two guests per jeep and one photographer per row of seats. Our camps feature optional daily laundry service (but not on days we travel between camps).
We know you have choices, and yes, you can spend less on another safari. We aim to give you the best possible experience, maximizing your time and minimizing the hassle while providing the best photographic experience and instruction available anywhere.
Photography and Safari Guiding: We've personally chosen only the best local safari guides for this photographic safari.
Details Matter: Our itinerary is set to bring you the best game viewing and all the region offers. We arrange transportation so that you have plenty of space next to you. This is very important in India, considering the small size of the passenger benches.
Photography Instruction: This is a workshop, not just a tour. We will work hard on this safari, with instruction in the field and camp. Many evenings feature post-processing instruction after dinner; during the daytime, we offer one-on-one instruction as needed. Here in India, because the jeeps are small, our instructor will be between jeeps throughout the day, helping anyone who needs it. You'll come away with a wealth of new knowledge on how to create great imagery and how best to process those images in Lightroom and Photoshop.
Years of Experience—Happy Repeat Customers: We've been leading, guiding, and teaching photographers for a long time—and we have thrilled customers who come back on our workshops repeatedly to prove it. If you'd like to speak to someone who has been with us on a workshop or safari, just let us know, we'd be happy to arrange a phone call.
Easy: Short walks to and from safari vehicles.
Arrive Indira Gandhi International Airport (DEL), Delhi, India anytime on February 15, 2024. Flights out can be made anytime on February 29, 2024. Air travel delays are common. Please arrive early, possibly even the day prior, so you don’t miss any of the workshop.
Please see our page How To Prepare For Your Workshop. We will send you a detailed information document 90 days before your workshop. This document will include specifics of where and when to meet, gear and clothing recommendations, and more.
“Jeff provided plenty of scheduled instruction and was easily approachable on the fly in all circumstances. He does a great job of teaching to the level of experience for each individual participant. ”
Save $750 off any new workshop registration. This offer expires at midnight on November 30, 2022, Eastern Standard Time.