Keep Calm and Swat Away.

This is Richard, my guide on my exhilarating Walking Safari in our private area in Serengeti. He has company – Tsetse flies. I had their company as well - I was right behind him.

When on Safari, there are areas in the parks and conservation areas where you just can not avoid these pesky flies.  Don't worry, they are not going to bother you all the time; they come only in certain areas. 

A few things to help yourself.

Wear light-colored clothing.
These buggers are attracted to dark colors. If you can avoid dark blue and black clothing on Safari. You will notice clothes with this color hanging from trees in various areas, put there by the park officials, in hopes that these flies will be hanging out on those clothes instead of on you. 

Try loose clothing.
Create a barrier between the fly and your skin. This is the best protection. And will keep you cool when hot. Win-Win.

Bug Spray.
This brand of spray has worked on me. At least kept a lot of them at bay, even when wearing black. Yup, I do wear that color on Safari as it is hard to get away from black clothing. 

Anti-itch cream.
Relief for when those pesky flies do get in your vehicle. Put some anti-itch cream right away; it will help with the itch. And try to avoid scratching the sweet itch. 

The silver lining here is that these flies keep the cows and humans away from the wildlife zones. They don’t seem to bother wildlife which means more areas for the wildlife to roam and the slow down of human encroachment. We are talking about tribes like the Maasai who live on the periphery of the Serengeti and Ngorongoro Conservation with their cows or the farmers with plantations close to Tarangire or Ruaha. Stay back, we need to give wildlife their space.

Keep Calm and Swat Away.  Don't let them stop you from going on a Safari. 

Safari Photography.

Before I Safari, I told myself ... do not use the automatic mode on your Canon 80D camera that I bought specifically for the Safari. Gulp! 

Yup, me the hobbyist photographer took a leap after hearing how I should learn to use the camera from uber-guide / friend Paul Oliver on my Natron Safari and Ruaha's hot chilly loving Italian guide Lorenzo. I practiced at home on my kids. I made them twirl and jump so I can figure out the F stop, ISO, Aperture, etc. Still learning.

And off I went on Safari and set my Canon camera on manual. I cheated a few times but stuck with manual most of the time. While shooting with my camera, I realized this is fun and not as intimidating as it sounds. I would try a few different setting until I liked what I saw.  I have upgraded myself to an amateur photographer, I think. 

Here's are some of the results of Journey To Africa Photography. Ahem! 

This leopard was lying on the tree in a distance. I had my Canon 70-300 mm L zoom with me and had the picture cropped so the leopard could be in focus. My pro friends would have likes the Canon 100-400 mm.

Okay, I love this picture. This march of the elephants was such a glorious moment for me. The golden hour light and the closeness of these giants was just magical. 

This is a Bateleur Eagle with it's eye lids closed. A bit different don't you think? During the day time I mostly kept with ISO 200-400 and played with F stop. Birds! Even trickier to capture. 

The details on the elephant truck just get me. The truck has around 40,000 muscles and has such an important function. And you can see the blade of grass. 

The jackal is my husband's favorite animal. They are so beautiful. On the food chain, they lurk around large predators and feed off their hunting work and compete with hyenas. 

I can see the whiskers. When I admire professional photographers work, I am always amazed at the details they capture. I was happy to see whiskers where clearly defined. The little things.

Here is my reason for nudging you - if I can do it, you can too - especially if you like photographs and like to play a little with your camera. Turn the dial and enjoy clicking away. 

Camera Tip:
Play with your camera before you head out on Safari. Practice at home, read the manual, learn the controls and then come back with amazing photographs to share. 

Not into photography and rather just enjoy the experience, good for you. You sound like Sally, my client-friend who lost her pictures in Ruaha [she accidentally formatted her memory card - oh my] but was so zen-like and got over the memory loss. 

Take your camera out for a spin on Safari. 

Safari Documents

You probably don’t need this from me but never hurts to hear this again.
Here are five items that I carry with me at all time on Safari:

Passport.
A given - this is your ticket home. I also give a copy of my passport to my family in the US. A client had given me a copy of her passport and when they were in South Africa, they lost their passport. I was glad I could help by emailing them their passport copy.

Paper e-tickets.
Print your International Airline tickets before you leave. Don't depend on your phone in case wi-fi is not working or your connectivity is poor. Best to have to copy.

Money.
Keep $100 per person handy [if you are a US Citizen] for the visa should you be getting that at the airport. The rest for tips, drinks, shopping, etc. should be carried with you always. We have detailed guidelines on our Traveling Tips which we share with our clients.

Vaccination paperwork if applicable.
If you are coming from another African country, you will need to get Yellow Fever vaccination. Otherwise, vaccination is your choice. 

Phone Numbers.
This is should Plan B need to go into place.
+ Phone numbers for your Travel Insurance - highly recommended getting insurance.
+ Phone numbers of the ground crew - we will provide this to you.
+ My mobile phone number in Houston. 
+ Phone number of your family/friends at home for me to keep should I need to get in touch.
You never know why you may need to make a phone call. Some examples; missing your international flight, breaking a leg in Amsterdam on the way to climb Mt. Kilimanjaro [fingers crossed will not happen to you], etc.

Let's get you on a Luxury Safari somewhere in magical Eastern and Southern Africa. 
We can help you plan your Safari. 

Our Safari Guides know Photography

When on Safari, the most important element that can make or break your Safari is your guide. Our guides make your Safari! It is the reason our guests come back.

Our guides not only know about animal-life, flora and fauna, but they also know photography.

Photography on Safari is vital for our guides to know. We have a range of clients from hobbyists, amateur photographers to professional photographers.

Lighting is crucial. Early morning before the sunrise to capture the first light of daybreak. How to avoid shadows in the hot mid-day sun. Positioning the Safari vehicle in the right angle to capture the golden hour in the evening. Sunset shots are amazing and when you have a wildlife silhouette, dreamy. These little tricks of the trade are taught to our Safari guides. Some of our guides are great photographers themselves like Butati in lovely Greystoke Mahale, Western Tanzania or Daniel at MalaMala Game Reserve, South Africa.

If we know in advance what you need, our guides will equip our vehicle with supplies like bean bags for stability. We always carry a few in our vehicles anyway. Any specific need you have, we can work with you.

My Safari guide Reuben with my camera clicking the Wildebeest arriving into Northern Serengeti.

For a hobbyist like me, I let my guides help.  They would help me with lighting, shutter speed, angle, etc.  They got me some good shots while I got to enjoy the experience. The picture above is in Northern Serengeti on our early morning game drive and the Wildebeest and Zebra migration were grunting its way into this beautiful region.

I brought home some great pictures and some shots, I can not take credit for. You decide if you want to do that on your Safari.

Twende Safari – let’s go Safari somewhere in magical Africa. We can help you!

Safari Staple - Wind Jacket.

One Safari essential I have been happy to have with me on Safari for the past few years.

My Wind Jacket.

Did you know that during the cooler months it can be around 50s-60s during the early morning and evening times. Ngorongoro Crater can go down to 40s. The cooler months on Safari in Tanzania are usually from April to October/November.

It has been a life saver for those cold early morning game drives as well as the evening sundowners. Layering is so necessary on Safari. Even during the cold months of June, during the day, it can warm up hence having an easy zipper jacket to remove is quite convenient. Open vehicles add to the cold factor but oh so fun.

Keep it Nylon. I have this Carhartt jacket. It has worked well for me but there are so many options for you to consider.

Why I like a nylon wind-jacket?
- It folds into a small bundle. When opened, it does not wrinkle.
- It is very light weight but packs a warm punch. Weight is important in my packing.
- Easy to clean. Your favorite drink spills during the bumpy ride, no worries, wipe it off.
- Acts as a rain coat. I was caught in a down pour during my June 2014 Safari in Serengeti. I was dry and so was my camera once tucked inside my jacket.

Do you have any favorite jacket that would work for your Safari?
Use it on your Safari. Now, let's get you there.

My camera gear on Safari

Everytime I head out on my Safari, the what camera and lens to take itch starts. When you follow some awesome photographers you can’t help but want to come back with those amazing pictures. Those captures where you can see every lion whisker or see the feathers on a flying bird crystal clearly. I aspire to be like them.

But I have to remember that is their passion. Their job. They have high-end camera equipments and are prepared to carry the heavy weight lenses in special bags. They may sell those pictures or publish articles. Or maybe they just really love photography and the camera and lens is part of the enjoyment. Some of my professional photographer clients have bought two seats to accommodate their camera gear.

I am a hobbyist photographer. I shoot mostly in auto and play a bit with the custom settings. I love good pictures but the weight of the lens and length size is a factor. I am going to suggest what I am taking on my upcoming Safari.

Another thing that I have learnt in the many years of going on a Safari. Rent. Camera equipment is expensive. The only time I get the itch to get new lens or camera is when I am heading out for a Safari. I have found a local Houston renter called the Photo Rental Source that I use. They ship around the US. Some other reputable dealers are BorrowLenses and Lens Rental.

In my camera bag, which is my bag-pack with a camera insert, I am going to carry ::
– My old body was a Canon T3i.  I currently have a Canon 80D.
– I really enjoyed using the 70 – 300 mm f4-5.6 L IS  and I am sticking with the lens. I like the photographs I get with this camera. The other option I am always considering is the 100 – 400 mm f4-5.6 L but I always do some walking and this lens is heavy. Check it out. Someday I may take the leap. I know most pros like prime lens. Love what they get with those large lens.
– For taking pictures of the lodges and when I do my walking like in Serengeti, I enjoyed using the 24-105 mm f4 IS. It was easy on my back for the whole day walking. I know pros go between this and the 24-70 mm f2.8.
– My Canon Powershot or any small camera for tight squeezes like when I was co-piloting.
– And the IPhone  – always handy.

My accessories ::
– Camera cleaning kits. A good cleanup end of the day is a good idea.
– Battery charger.
– Converter for the prongs. Most of the chargers are 110-240 V but the prongs vary. I have this one that I got from Amazon and it was quite handy. 
– 2-3 batteries. 
Our vehicles have charging stations which makes it easy to always have a spare ready.  Evenings at the lodges are also a good time to recharge. 
– 2 -3 memory cards. Adjust size and quantity depending on your length of Safari and how much you like to take. Normally you average 400-600 per day. But I know people who take more. Make sure you get a fast speed card. Nothing more frustration then taking an action shot and your card has to ‘think’. 

That should be it. I hope this gives you a starting guideline on camera and lens gear for your Safari with Journey To Africa.

But whatever you buy or borrow, make sure you use it before your Safari to practice and make sure it works. I don't even want to imagine being on Safari and something not working.
Deep breath. Ommmmm!

And then, please do email and share your photographs. I love seeing what you have seen.
Tag it #JourneyToAfricaSafari.