Exploring Africa’s Eden
Photo Safari
US$ 17,900 per person sharing
$3,500 single supplement
Exploring Africa’s Eden | Zimbabwe
Photo Safari with Laura Dyer & Charlie Wemyss-Dunn
Zimbabwe is safari at its most wild and diverse with the opportunity not simply to drive but to walk, boat and paddle through a wide variety of habitats. No day is ever the same on safari here with the option to follow predators by vehicle, take to the water to spot wildlife on the riverbanks or spend part of an afternoon quietly observing the comings and goings from a hide. Guiding in Zimbabwe is of the highest standard in all of Africa due to stringent exam standards, so rest assured whether we are driving or on foot we will always be in the best hands.
Taking in two of Zimbabwe’s most iconic wildlife areas, Mana Pools and Hwange, this safari showcases the some of the best that northern Zimbabwe has to offer. This will give us the best chance to photograph the broadest range of potential species with the maximum amount of flexibility. Guiding in Zimbabwe is of the highest standard in all of Africa due to stringent exam standards, so rest assured whether we are driving or on foot we will always be in the best hands.
Mana Pools National Park lies deep within the Zambezi Valley, one of the least commercial but most famed National Parks in Southern Africa amongst safari veterans! The verdant banks of the Zambezi form a refuge for many of Africa’s iconic wildlife species and the river itself is home to abundant wildlife - including large rafts of Hippopotamus and enormous Nile Crocodiles. Predators such as wild dogs, lions, leopards and hyena ensure that this wildlife eden will fill up memory cards and leave a lasting impression.
Central Hwange lies within an unbroken wildlife ecosystem that covers more than 500 000km² (about the size of California and Kentucky combined; or around the size of Spain). Flowing rivers, natural springs, and dams sustain its vibrant ecosystem, drawing a rich diversity of wildlife. A network of waterholes, bustling with game, punctuates the landscape, creating thriving oases offering captivating wildlife encounters.
Tour Date Notes
August: While temperatures are beginning to creep up as we come out of winter, morning and nights are still cold and warm package fleeces and jackets are advised. As winter is the dry season, the landscapes will have dried up and wildlife viewing is at its best and the dusty landscapes make for incredibly atmospheric photography.
Mana Pools:At this time of year much of the inland fresh water has dried up and a cross section of mammals come to satiate their thirst at the river’s edge including great herds of Elephant, Buffalo, Eland, Waterbuck, Impala, Bushbuck and Baboons. As a result of the abundance of game, predators such as Wild Dog, Lion, Leopard and Hyena gather and you will no doubt locate some of these magnificent carnivores.
Hwange: Well into the dry season, wildlife viewing is at its peak now and mega-fauna including Elephant, Buffalo, Hippo and Giraffe are all regularly encountered, as are carnivores including Lion, Spotted Hyaena, Cheetah, Leopard and Wild Dog with special species such as Sable, Roan adding excitement.
Tour Summary
Where: Mana Pools & Hwange National Parks
Nights: 8 (9 days)
Group Size: 6-8
Dates & Prices
August 2028: 16 August - 24 August 2028
Spaces available
Price: US$ 17,900
Single supplement $3,500
Safari Highlights
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We will meet as a group at Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport. ‘Mhoroi’, and welcome to Zimbabwe!
After landing in Harare please look out for our Welcome Board with your name on it. We will be met by our VIP agent, fast-tracked through customs and immigration and assisted with retrieving your luggage. We will then be assisted through to your onward flight to Mana Pools for the start of your Zimbabwean adventure.
After the last morning activity and breakfast, we will transfer via scheduled charter flight to Victoria Falls International Airport for onward travel.
PLEASE NOTE DIFFERENT START/END AIRPORTS
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Our own private guides and vehicles at each camp
Maximum of 4 guests per vehicle
Both camps are located in private concessions allowing for much greater flexibility with a low tourist density
Ability to be on-foot in both Mana Pools and Hwange making use of the unique angles this presents
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All park fees
All internal flights and transfers between camps and park airstrips
4 nights at Wilderness Rukomechi camp in Mana Pools
4 nights at Camp Hwange in Hwange National Park
All food and beverage (excl premium brands)
Laundry (for cultural sensitivity, ladies underwear will not be laundered but washing powder is provided in every room for this purpose).
20kg luggage (incl camera equipment) in soft-sided luggage please
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International flights
Premium drinks
Tips and gratuities for staff (optional)
Visas and/or any vaccinations
Additional excess baggage charges
Optional extra activities (eg. hot air balloon)
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The emphasis of this trip is both learning in the field, where both Laura and Charlie have many years of experience under their belts, and in-camp mentoring and guidance in-between drives. With their understanding of animal behaviour as well as how to photograph wildlife, they will spend time explaining the process and settings needed for excellent photography.
Between drives, the small group means there will be ample time for individual attention - learning new skills as well as one-to-one time to edit images and discuss any subjects you would like on an individual basis. The goal is for you to leave with stronger skills, and a beautiful portfolio of images to illustrate the eden that is Zimbabwe, as well as a greater understand of the wildlife that call this wilderness ‘home’.
Meet your guide
Laura is an award-winning wildlife photographer with many years’ experience exploring Earth’s wildest places from the plains of Africa to the frozen ice of the polar regions, with images published in Africa Geographic, Outdoor Photographer, Getaway, Wild Planet, Forbes and more.
Having grown up in South Africa, Laura spent all her free time in the bush and has an extensive knowledge of wildlife behaviour. With 20 years of safaris under her belt she knows how to anticipate, visualise and capture the perfect shot.
“I love teaching guests how to capture those perfect moments on safari and seeing their faces light up when using a new technique or nailing a shot for the first time - creating memories that last a lifetime. It is a real privilege for me to see and be a part of these experiences and I absolutely love it.”
Meet your guide
Charlie is passionate about taking photographs of the world's wild places and the spectacular wildlife that resides within them. His love for the natural world began at a young age memorising the names of the world's most charismatic creatures, and continued through time spent counting orang-utan nests in Borneo and eight months traveling throughout the wilds of Southern Africa.
He is now an award-winning photographer with images published in The Telegraph (UK), CNN, The Atlantic (US), Africa Geographic, Smithsonian magazine, and more.. In 2020, Charlie created a foundation dedicated to supporting the long-term protection of threatened wildlife and ecosystems around the world, called the Preservation of At-Risk Wildlife (PAW) Foundation. He uses the conservation work conducted by the foundation as a platform to tell impactful stories about the natural world.
Charlie is proud to now guide on-location photo workshops to some of the wild places he holds dear and to help guests capture fantastic moments.
Details
Days 1-5: Rukomechi Camp in Mana Pools
Situated in a large private concession in the heart of the Zambezi Valley's Mana Pools National Park, Wilderness Ruckomechi looks out from the banks of the mighty Zambezi River, gazing out towards Zambia’s evocative escarpment. Its broad-canopied albida trees create glorious shade throughout the camp, and are much loved by the elephants for their rich, nutritious seeds.
Ten spacious and beautifully decorated tents (including two family rooms), along with a generous central living space, enjoy the broad vista of the Zambezi River. There is a separate pool area, a unique outdoor “bath with a view” in a secluded, scenic spot, and a romantic Star Bed by a busy waterhole.
As a private conservation area bordering Zimbabwe’s iconic Mana Pools, Ruckomechi provides a stable buffer zone for precious wildlife in this productive riverine belt. Tune in. Breathe out. Listen. With hippos bobbing in the river and elephants wading through the water, know that your stay enables the lodge to continue to make a meaningful impact on this wild, wonderful land.
Our group will have two vehicles to ourselves which means there will be plenty of space for our gear.
Our Focus
The very mention of Mana Pools conjures images in the traveler’s mind of golden light and dust filtering through an ancient forest full of wildlife, while one of the park’s legendary elephants is silhouetted reaching up for a branch. It’s all that and more with the park bounded to the north by the ever-present flow of the impressive Zambezi River filled with many hippos and crocodiles, and to the south by a long escarpment. In between lies a vast floodplain inhabited by elephant, buffalo, eland and all manner of grazing species. Lions occur in good numbers, especially as the dry season progresses and prides head down to the river for a potential meal. One of Mana’s main draws are the wild dogs made famous by BBC documentaries. While elusive by nature and rare as a species, the wild dogs are regularly spotted on the move around Mana’s floodplains. No visit to Mana is complete without spending time with the charismatic bull elephants that can sometimes be spotted standing on their hind legs for food. August maximizes our chances of seeing this behavior, with the widespread presence of the tree pods that these elephants seek.
Our focus will be on taking advantage of Mana’s magical dry season light to capture dramatic images of species such as elephants and wild dogs on the floodplains while utilizing the option to shoot low from ground level (since being on foot is allowed).
We will do a morning and an afternoon activity with early mornings dedicated to finding predators and leaving camp as early as possible to give ourselves the best opportunities. While primarily using a vehicle, we are also granted permission to walk to sightings with a professional guide which affords unique angles and perspectives for images. We will then have an optional image review and editing session where your tour leaders will be on hand to provide personal assistance and help you learn to edit your photos, or discuss new skills or techniques learnt or practiced during the morning. Afternoons can be spent in any number of ways depending on sightings and activity preference, including searching for Mana’s famous elephant bulls, following predator action, and boat or canoe safaris on the Zambezi. There is even the possibility of night safaris in Ruckomechi’s private concession to search for some of Mana’s lesser seen species, such as leopards.
Days 5-9: Camp Hwange in Hwange National Park
A rustic, traditional camp of 8 canvas-walled units beneath cooling thatch, Camp Hwange overlooks one of the natural waterholes that make this part of Hwange National Park special. Located on open savanna in a private concession in the central part of Hwange between the rugged Mopane woodlands to the north and the sandy soil Teak forests to the south-west, means that game viewing is as diverse as its habitat types with fantastic game viewing, especially in the drier months from April through to November.
In addition to the annual fee paid for this private concession, included in the nightly rate are guest park fees and a conservation levy that helps fund the operation of the national park. The primary conservation focus at Camp Hwange has been collaboration with independent research and conservation organisations working within Hwange. These range from Bhejane Trust, Hwange Lion Research and Painted Dog Conservation who they are able to support as a result of guests staying at the camp.
Our Focus
Hwange National Park plays host to one of the largest concentrations of elephants in Africa and indeed is a park defined by its size. Massive prides of lions’ patrol open areas searching for equally large herds of buffalo, while Hwange also holds some of the highest densities of African wild dog. Lesser seen antelope species such as sable and roan are also present in good numbers. Photography never stops in Hwange as the camp is setup overlooking a natural waterhole where wildlife comes to drink in large numbers. Our camp is on a private concession in the open savannah allowing for ultimate freedom for game drives, bush walks and access to log pile hides.
Our focus will be on the big cats, including the large lion prides of the area, and taking advantage of close encounters possible through spending time in the hides, particularly the woodpile hide adjacent to the camp’s waterhole. Elephant, buffalo and even big cats frequent these water holes allowing for some fantastic photographic opportunities.
As in Mana Pools, we will do a morning and afternoon drive (walking possible as part of activity) with an optional image review and editing session in between where we will be on hand to provide personal assistance and help you learn to edit your photos, or discuss new skills or techniques learnt or practiced during the morning. Access to the logpile hides will be flexible and completely up to you.
Pairs well with
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![Wide view of Victoria Falls at sunrise in Zimbabwe]()
Victoria Falls
“Scenes so lovely must have been gazed upon by angels in their flight.” - David Livingstone
Known as “the smoke that thunders” (Mosi-oa-Tunya), this is a sight worth seeing as the mighty Zambezi River crashes over the edge of the Falls in the largest sheet of falling water on Earth. Spanning 1,708m and plunging over 100m, prepare to be awe-struck, deliriously happy and simultaneously wet-through from the epic spray.
