Safari | Why Creations - Willem Heyneker

The Spirit of Africa

A Photography and Wildlife safari of a lifetime

6 days with Why Creations and African Unlocked in the Lowveld of Africa

Imagine the excitement of a great adventure sighting and photographing these unique animals.

Waking up to the sounds of Africa each morning with heightened anticipation of what adventure lies ahead for you.

And rounding off your perfect day with a refreshing sundowner and your stories to tell as the African setting sun colours the sky.

You can experience all of this and so much more when you join me for 6 days in the Lowerveld. Having had my own experience of a lifetime, I now want to share the Africa I know with you.

I have teamed up with Albie Ventner from African Unlocked to offer you an exclusive safari in Africa’s premier wildlife reserves. Your safari experience is all-inclusive.

You can be assured that you will be in experienced hands and well looked after to be given an adventure of a lifetime by creating new stories and lasting memories with your striking photos to share with friends.

I have always had a fascination for nature and wildlife having been brought up in Sri Lanka where my uncle was the assistant director at the Colombo Zoo. In addition, he was a well-known biologist and skin diver working at times with the famous Jacques Cousteau. And he was in the movie ‘Blue Water, White Death.’ In a past life, I was a pilot eventually using the topography of the land to create jewellery and now using this ex

Albie and his wife, Freda, founded Africa Unlocked in 2009. They both wanted to give you what they have themselves experienced for the last 20 years – unfolding the secrets of Africa. Albie is not only a highly experienced and knowledgeable photographer and wild life guide, he is also deeply involved in wildlife management and eco-tourism having studied Nature Conservation in Cape Town. And he is fun to be around. Click here for more detailed information on his skilled background.

Together Albie and I will support you to capture the spirit of Africa that will last a lifetime. Each day you will experience the excitement of the African Veld with all its natural beauty, whether it be in the hide at the Indlovu River Lodge or on game drives based at Umlani Bushcamp – Timbavati. When back at the camp, we will help with post processing of your daily images. We will also be standing by to support you to further develop your knowledge and skills of your camera to capture those special moments.

With our trained eye for good composition and capturing those unique moments, we will guide you to recognise the potential of an exceptional shot. The one on your wish list you will talk about for a long time.

For you to get the best experience and exposure to be able to photograph the animals, there will be only one person per row in the vehicle. This way you can move from side to side to get the best possible shots without interference and getting in each other’s way.

Itinerary

The following itinerary is a suggestion based on the general schedule of safaris. The small group-size allows for great flexibility and the daily schedule can be adapted to group needs.

Day 1:

PM: arrive and be warmly greeted at Eastgate Airport, Hoedspruit. In a luxury air-conditioned SUV, you will be transported to Indlovu Game Lodge in the Karongwe Game Reserver – 1 hour.

You will have time to check into your room and settle in before going on your first hide session in the Mammal Hide. This will be followed by evening drinks and dinner.

Day 2:

You will be woken up early to have coffee and tea before you set off on your 3 – 4-hour session in the Bird Hide. You will return to the Lodge for breakfast and a photographic workshop. After lunch, there will be some leisure time before you go out on your afternoon Mammal Hide session. You will return to afternoon drinks followed by dinner.

Day 3:

AM: Same as Day 2 – Bird Hide Session. After returning to the Lodge for breakfast, you will check out of Indlovu to start the next part of your journey by road. After 1 ½ hours you will arrive at Umlani Bushcamp in the Timbavati, situated in the Greater Kruger National Park. There you will be treated to lunch with some leisure time to unpack and settle in, before afternoon tea and coffee and your afternoon game drive and sundowner. Upon return to camp via Night Drive, you will enjoy dinner and a good night’s sleep.

Day 4:

AM: same as Day 3 preparing you for you morning Game drive. Along the way stopping for coffee and snacks. Breakfast followed by a photographic workshop will be back at the Bushcamp. Lunch. Leisure. Afternoon tea and coffee. Then out again for the Afternoon Game Drive and sundowner. Upon return to camp via Night Drive, you will enjoy dinner and a good night’s sleep.

Day 5:

AM: same as previous day. Today’s workshop will be a photographic critique session of photographs take on the safari. PM: same as previous day.

Day 6:

AM: the usual morning and breakfast routine. Followed by check out at Umlani and road transfer to Eastgate Airport – 1 hour.

And this is the end of your safari that has been full of excitement, fun, experiences, memories and lots of photos to share with others. Thank you for making the decision to join us and bringing one of your dreams come true.

Investment: RAND 58,864 share, RAND 70,946 single

Indlovu hides specs

Solid concrete construction
Two dedicated bird and mammal hides
Submerged to allow photographers a water level view
Unobtrusive external structure
Comfortable chairs – you will spend a lot of time in the hide
Ample Space. The hide only accommodates five people and there is sufficient space to stretch your legs during quiet
Individual carema rests. No-one will accidentally bump your camera support.
Additional shelf to store all those additional gadgets photographers are so fond
Complimentary gimbal heads and beanbags during entire time at Indlovu.
Dedicated beanbag rest for photographers who prefer the good old, failsafe means of camera
Snack, hot and cold drinks, depending on time of day throughout hide
Carpeted interiors allowing for great acoustics and reducing noise significantly in the
Lastly but most importantly – Great variety of wildlif

Frequently Asked Questions

What should I know about vehicle etiquette?

Vehicle etiquette and consideration for fellow photographers:

On all our tours we may ask participants to rotate seats in the vehicles, taking it in turn to sit in the more popular seats in the front and the less popular ones in the rear. This requirement applies to everyone

If there is some reason why you can’t take your turn in the back of a vehicle (e.g. a bad back or travel sickness) please inform our office at the time of booking to see if we can accommo- date you. We regret that anyone failing to inform us of such limitations before the tour will be expected to rotate seats in the same way as everyone else.

There is also other vehicle etiquette that we would like to ask you to adhere to. We give these guidelines to ensure a positive experience for all when on safari.

Please keep noise levels low at an animal sighting. This allows people to enjoy the set- ting and listen to sounds that the animals may be making. Often these alert us to some be- haviour and allows us to anticipate any action that may occur.

If you are seated in the front of the vehicle, please have consideration for the people behind you. A pre-arranged chat at the start of the safari is an excellent way to work out how you will be photographing and working around each other. It provides a positive working environ- ment and allows everyone to photograph happily in the vehicle.

When photographing, keep movement to a minimum. If you are going to shift places, then alert the others and do so as swiftly and directly as possible.

Please do not do anything to effect the behaviour of the animals.

Your driver/ranger has to adhere to certain rules and etiquette at sightings that you may not be aware of. This may mean you cannot stop exactly where you would like. Please bear this in mind at sightings, especially when there are other vehicles from other camps around.

What technical equipment or requirements do I need for a safari?

A Digital SLR camera is recommended, with at least a 200mm lens to capture wildlife images. A laptop for downloading is also helpful, although we can download your images if necessary. On a Photo tour, two DSLR camera bodies and lenses are advised. The type of lenses you take depend entirely on the destination. We will advise according to each tour should you need advise.

Are there any extras I need to bring on a trip?

Most of our tours are all inclusive and we offer advice as to what to bring along. This is due to the different seasons and conditions of each safari Africa Unlocked will always advise if you will be traveling in a Malaria area. If the tour is not all-inclusive, it will be clearly stated

Why do you choose such specific destinations?

Each destination is hand picked by us for the beauty and photographic potential it holds. Africa Unlocked only travel to destinations that offer the best of what we are looking to photo- graph. If we know an area holds excellent wildlife, we will take tours there. There are many factors to consider- Seasonal variation can have a large impact on wildlife movements, animal and bird migrations, localized animal movements etc. We of course take all this into consideration, ensuring that our tours are going to the best locations at the best times.

Is there any cell phone reception in the areas?

In most game reserves and wild areas there is no cell/mobile phone reception.

How safe am I in the game reserves in Africa?

Africa Unlocked only operate with lodges and reserves that use the best rangers. They ensure your safety whilst on safari and use very strict procedures when dealing with dangerous animals. Each lodge has a safety briefing on arrival which, if adhered to, makes your stay very safe.

What insurance/coverage do I need?

Your normal travel insurance covers you for safaris in Africa. Africa Unlocked are comprehensively insured for medical emergencies on safaris.

For Malaria, which tablets should I take, if any?

Africa Unlocked are not allowed to prescribe medical advice to clients. We will advise if the area visited is in a malaria area. You will need to consult with your local GP for medical advise on Malaria and prevention.

You will be visiting a Malaria area and medical precautions is highly recommended – please consult your medical doctor.

What about allergies?

Most safari camps are able to handle food allergies but not with the degree of skill that five star hotels do. The best way to handle an intolerance, is to simply avoid eating that particu- lar food as the menus in camp are quite diverse. If you have a more uncommon allergy, like being allergic to eggs, and you know of a solution (like a powder substitute), then bring it along on safari. If you have a deadly allergy, then be sure to travel with your own medication

What about medicine, diseases and vaccinations?

Please check in with your local travel clinic or doctor for advice. From our experience, a yellow fever and hepatitis vaccination is a must, while the plethora of others are optional. Our safaris are conducted in low risk malarial areas but for your own peace of mind, we recommend that you take a prophylactic. In areas where you get tsetse flies in East Africa, humans are not the primary disease carries, and contracting Tryps is very rare. There is nothing you can do about these flies except to dress appropriately (keep reading) and to apply mosquito guard. None of our current safari destinations carry significant amounts of tsetsi flies.

Can I drink water and eat fresh produce on safari?

We advise that you only drink bottled water, which is always available in camps. Avoid ice as this is often made from local water which although is generally safe to drink, your foreign tummies might disagree! It is safe to eat fresh produce

Any luggage restrictions?

The reality is that on any scheduled charters in Africa, there will be luggage restrictions. Short of chartering your own flight (which we can do), our advice is to bring only the essential camera equipment. Having too much equipment can actually hinder your photography. Also, you can get washing done in camp and with a fairly moderate to hot climate, you can afford to pack light. In short, bring fewer clothes so that you can bring more camera gear! Depending on the safari you book, we will be able to advise you on exact weight restrictions

What amount of spending money should I bring along?

Our tours cover all travel, food and accommodation costs (unless otherwise stated). This means that spending money can be kept to souvenirs, curios and books. This normally amounts to Euro 10.00 per person per day.