BACK TO BOTSWANA

Hi First name / everyone I hope this newsletter finds you well! I am sorry that it is a few days late, but I have been travelling, and I am finally back to Botswana! It has been three months since I was back in the land of the elephant, and I really can't wait to get into the bush. I will be hosting three Botswana based safaris for Pangolin. So this newsletter is a celebration of what makes the Chobe National Park, the Okavango Delta, and the Kalahari so special for safari. I hope you enjoy #61!

 

- William

In case you missed my youtube video from my last Chobe - Delta - Kalahari safari, here it is again! See the many sighting my guests were lucky enough to see on this 10 day safari across the country. Please subscribe if you enjoy, I plan to do a lot more filming going forward so it is definitely worth your while!

There is something truly special about returning to the the Chobe National Park, While it certainly is much busier than when I visited as a boy, it still has an indescribable pull. It is a place I know so well, yet every visit still manages to surprise me. Sleeping on the river on our houseboat is still, for me at least, one of the most peaceful and rewarding experiences in Africa.

 

The Chobe River has a way of drawing you in. I think it is the rhythm of quietly drifting past spectacular birdlife and watching elephants move gently across the river, it never loses its wonder. It’s a landscape I’ve seen countless times, and yet, in each different season never stops surprising me.

 

For photographers, Chobe is a dream. The sheer variety of moments, the rich textures of light, and at this time of the year, the vibrancy of colours. Writing this, it is hard not to get excited about being back on the river!

I'll also be returning to the Okavango Delta, one of those spectacular locations that leaves an imprint on you long after you’ve left. Anyone who’s had the privilege of exploring the Delta knows just how deeply it gets under your skin. It is an ecosystem unlike any other, full of stillness and surprise, where every corner holds the potential for something extraordinary.

 

Witnessing the impact of a great rainy season, it will definitely be an exciting adventure exploring the floodplains as the Delta comes alive all over again after the rains. I have no doubt there will be some hair raising river crossings, for us and the wildlife, offering up an entirely new perspective for us to capture.

Finally I will also be spending time in the beautiful Kalahari, a place that feels like part of my DNA. Growing up, we would often travel to Khutse and the Central Kalahari, and over the years, this desolate and untamed corner of Botswana has claimed a special place in my heart. Returning here always feels like reconnecting with some wild version of myself.

 

In contrast to the water-filled landscapes of Chobe and the Delta, the Kalahari offers something entirely different. It’s a place of scarcity and strength, where life persists against the odds. While it may lack the abundance of water found elsewhere, that’s exactly what makes it so remarkable. The wildlife is drawn with quiet urgency to the few precious sources that remain.

 

My guests and I will spend some of our time into the eye-level photographic bunker, patiently waiting. Out there, it is not about chasing the wildlife, but rather, letting the wilderness come to you. In that stillness, the Kalahari reveals its quiet magic.

This newsletter seems to be theme around nostalgia, so I thought I wouldn't end it there. The last few months I have decided to dust off the 50 year old film camera and take it for a spin in both Botswana and Kenya. I think I have waffled on enough about film imagery in the past, so I won't bore you with that this time! Instead here are a few of my favourites film images from the Kalahari, Okavango Delta, Masai Mara, and Samburu this year;

 

Thank you as always for reading and I cannot wait to hear what you think of this months newsletter! The next newsletter is coming soon, so make sure you have signed up and feel free to forward it to your friends!

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