WHY WILDPHOTOS SAFARIS?
Wildphotos Safaris is Daryl & Sharna Balfour, two of Africa’s leading and most experienced wildlife photographers & authors over the past three decades.
Daryl & Sharna were both born and raised in Africa, and have been full-time in the field of wildlife safaris and photography since 1986. Daryl in fact guided his first African safari in the early 1970s, while his very first wildlife experience was as an 8-year-old, on foot and in the company of the legendary conservationist and founder of the Wilderness Leadership School, the late Dr Ian Player, a close family friend.
· Why travel to Africa and be guided by someone who was not born and raised here?
All Wildphotos Safaris itineraries are guided by experts with a lifetime of experience in the field, who speak the local languages and can communicate your needs to the local people in their own language.
NEW PUMA/COUGAR/MOUNTAIN LIONS
PUMAS OF TORRES DEL PAINE, CHILE
Contact us now if you are interested in this unique private small-group safari to one of the most spectacular destinations on earth, Chile's Torres del Paine National Park.
This safari is being scheduled to run immediately after the last of our special Wild Jaguars of the Pantanal safaris and we will be traveling directly from Sáo Paulo, Brazil to Santiago, Chile after completing our jaguar trip. You can do one or both of these safaris but we thought that for those traveling a long distance to South America combining both might be a great option.
We spend six days tracking wild pumas and most of our photography will be on foot with these elusive big cats as well as enjoying the incredible landscapes of the Torres del Paine National Park, one of the most spectacular landscape photo destinations on the planet.
WE EXPECT THIS TOUR TO FILL UP FAST SO CONTACT US HERE NOW TO PUT YOUR NAME ON THE LIST OF THOSE INTERESTED IN JOINING US!
PUMAS OF TORRES DEL PAINE, CHILE
Contact us now if you are interested in this unique private small-group safari to one of the most spectacular destinations on earth, Chile's Torres del Paine National Park.
This safari is being scheduled to run immediately after the last of our special Wild Jaguars of the Pantanal safaris and we will be traveling directly from Sáo Paulo, Brazil to Santiago, Chile after completing our jaguar trip. You can do one or both of these safaris but we thought that for those traveling a long distance to South America combining both might be a great option.
We spend six days tracking wild pumas and most of our photography will be on foot with these elusive big cats as well as enjoying the incredible landscapes of the Torres del Paine National Park, one of the most spectacular landscape photo destinations on the planet.
WE EXPECT THIS TOUR TO FILL UP FAST SO CONTACT US HERE NOW TO PUT YOUR NAME ON THE LIST OF THOSE INTERESTED IN JOINING US!
IN THE PLANNING STAGES - CONTACT US NOW TO EXPRESS INTEREST!
TIGERS, TEMPLES & RHINOS OF INDIA FEBRUARY 2024
After two private visits to India Sharna & I now believe we have the hang of what is required to create a truly special wildlife and cultural tour of this fascinating country, working with an experienced and accomplished private Indian guide.
These tours will be private small-group excursions for a maximum of SIX guests. Starting from Delhi, with visits to the spectacular Taj Mahal and the "Pink City" of Jaipur for one night each, after which we will spend five nights in Ranthambhore National Park, renowned for its spectacular tiger viewing, followed by five nights in the remote Kaziranga NP, where we will focus on the highly endangered Indian one-horned rhino, Indian elephants and more tigers. We already do have a number of guests interested in these tours so please let us know by clicking HERE if you wish to receive further information.
TIGERS, TEMPLES & RHINOS OF INDIA FEBRUARY 2024
After two private visits to India Sharna & I now believe we have the hang of what is required to create a truly special wildlife and cultural tour of this fascinating country, working with an experienced and accomplished private Indian guide.
These tours will be private small-group excursions for a maximum of SIX guests. Starting from Delhi, with visits to the spectacular Taj Mahal and the "Pink City" of Jaipur for one night each, after which we will spend five nights in Ranthambhore National Park, renowned for its spectacular tiger viewing, followed by five nights in the remote Kaziranga NP, where we will focus on the highly endangered Indian one-horned rhino, Indian elephants and more tigers. We already do have a number of guests interested in these tours so please let us know by clicking HERE if you wish to receive further information.
SNOW LEOPARDS & LANDSCAPES OF LADAKH
Not for the faint-hearted...this is an expedition-style safari in extreme conditions...but offering the opportunity to see & photograph the rare & elusive snow leopard plus the spectacular mountain ranges & peaks of the Karakoram Mountains to the north and the Himalayas to the south!
Contact us HERE
Not for the faint-hearted...this is an expedition-style safari in extreme conditions...but offering the opportunity to see & photograph the rare & elusive snow leopard plus the spectacular mountain ranges & peaks of the Karakoram Mountains to the north and the Himalayas to the south!
Contact us HERE
THE VERY BEST OF NAMIBIA - APRIL 2024 Join us in Namibia for a "best of Namibia" safari where we fly you to the very best destinations around the country. Starting in Windhoek, the capital city, we will visit the spectacular sand dunes of Sossusvlei in the heart of the Namib Desert, then the rugged and arid region of Damaraland where we will track desert-dwelling black rhinos, elephants, giraffe and other desert-adapted wildlife. From Damaraland we fly north to the border of Namibia with Angola, where we will base ourselves on the Kunene River and enjoy a cultural visit to the colourful Himba tribespeople of the area and explore the magnificent scenery along the Kunene. From here we fly to the acclaimed Etosha National Park to stay in the luxurious Ongava Private Game Reserve adjoining the Park, where we will have opportunities to view lions, leopards and the other Namibian specials such as oryx, springbok, greater kudu etc. We have chosen our four destinations to give the best views of what Namibia has to offer, with air transfers between all our locations to enjoy the spectacular countryside from the air! New already have several names on our list for 2024, so please contact us ASAP HERE to add your name to the list We can only accommodate 8 people in total on this safari, so it's fastest fingers first! |
|
A selection of our annual set departures to whet your appetite & give you ideas
Apart from the Set Departures listed on these pages, Balfour & Burton Wildphotos Safaris specialises in arranging, hosting and guiding special private itineraries customised for smaller groups or families, throughout Africa, Asia and the Americas . Please contact us directly HERE if you would like to discuss a special safari - we can offer advice & insights gained over more than 30 years in the safari industry and photographing wildlife throughout the world.
NOT ONLY FOR PHOTOGRAPHERS
WHILE OUR SAFARIS ARE DESIGNED TO GIVE KEEN PHOTOGRAPHERS EVERY OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE BETTER IMAGES AND LEARN FROM THE EXPERIENCE OF DARYL & SHARNA BALFOUR, THESE TRIPS ARE NOT EXCLUSIVELY FOR THOSE WITH HUGE LENSES AND PROFESSIONAL CAMERAS, etc. WHAT OUR SAFARIS DO THOUGH IS OFFER GUESTS QUALITY TIME WITH THE BIRDS & ANIMALS, TIME TO STUDY BEHAVIOUR, LEARN MORE, AND, YES, GET GREAT PHOTOS, EVEN IF YOU ARE ARMED WITH ONLY A POINT & SHOOT CAMERA OR iPHONE! AND WE WILL OFFER TUITION & GUIDANCE TO WHOMEVER MAY ASK! (WE'LL EVEN TAKE YOUR PICTURES FOR YOU!)
We offer a variety of luxury safaris below and can customise any of them to your preferences. These include:
GRIZZLY BEARS FISHING FOR SALMON - NEW SPECIAL FLOATPLANE SAFARI - WE GO WHERE THE BEARS GO - CONTACT US here FOR DETAILS
JAGUARS, MACAWS AND TOUCANS OF BRAZIL'S EXOTIC PANTANAL - NEW DEPARTURE - CONTACT US here NOW FOR BROCHURE
ELEPHANTS, ELEPHANTS & ELEPHANTS of EAST AFRICA
THE LAST RHINOS
TIGERS of AFRICA
ICONS OF AFRICA
BOTSWANA - DESERT THRU DELTA
BIG CATS of the MAASAI MARA
SPOTS and STRIPES - THE ULTIMATE CATS
SERENGETI MIGRATION & NGORONGORO CRATER
MAASAI MARA WILDEBEEST MIGRATION SAFARI - THE BEST MIGRATION SAFARIS ANYWHERE
SECRET TANZANIA - TARANGIRE, KATAVI & MAHALE MOUNTAINS
SAFARIS & SPICES - AMBOSELI, LAIKIPIA, LAMU ISLAND
ZAMBIA – SOUTH LUANGWA NATIONAL PARK & LOWER ZAMBEZI VALLEY
WILD DOGS of BOTSWANA
WINE & WILDLIFE SAFARIS - inquire about our WINE & WILDEBEEST MIGRATION SAFARIS!
GORILLAS IN THE MIST - RWANDA'S VOLCANOES NATIONAL PARK - CONTACT US HERE FOR PRIVATE ITINERARIES OR SET DEPARTURES
NOT ONLY FOR PHOTOGRAPHERS
WHILE OUR SAFARIS ARE DESIGNED TO GIVE KEEN PHOTOGRAPHERS EVERY OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE BETTER IMAGES AND LEARN FROM THE EXPERIENCE OF DARYL & SHARNA BALFOUR, THESE TRIPS ARE NOT EXCLUSIVELY FOR THOSE WITH HUGE LENSES AND PROFESSIONAL CAMERAS, etc. WHAT OUR SAFARIS DO THOUGH IS OFFER GUESTS QUALITY TIME WITH THE BIRDS & ANIMALS, TIME TO STUDY BEHAVIOUR, LEARN MORE, AND, YES, GET GREAT PHOTOS, EVEN IF YOU ARE ARMED WITH ONLY A POINT & SHOOT CAMERA OR iPHONE! AND WE WILL OFFER TUITION & GUIDANCE TO WHOMEVER MAY ASK! (WE'LL EVEN TAKE YOUR PICTURES FOR YOU!)
We offer a variety of luxury safaris below and can customise any of them to your preferences. These include:
GRIZZLY BEARS FISHING FOR SALMON - NEW SPECIAL FLOATPLANE SAFARI - WE GO WHERE THE BEARS GO - CONTACT US here FOR DETAILS
JAGUARS, MACAWS AND TOUCANS OF BRAZIL'S EXOTIC PANTANAL - NEW DEPARTURE - CONTACT US here NOW FOR BROCHURE
ELEPHANTS, ELEPHANTS & ELEPHANTS of EAST AFRICA
THE LAST RHINOS
TIGERS of AFRICA
ICONS OF AFRICA
BOTSWANA - DESERT THRU DELTA
BIG CATS of the MAASAI MARA
SPOTS and STRIPES - THE ULTIMATE CATS
SERENGETI MIGRATION & NGORONGORO CRATER
MAASAI MARA WILDEBEEST MIGRATION SAFARI - THE BEST MIGRATION SAFARIS ANYWHERE
SECRET TANZANIA - TARANGIRE, KATAVI & MAHALE MOUNTAINS
SAFARIS & SPICES - AMBOSELI, LAIKIPIA, LAMU ISLAND
ZAMBIA – SOUTH LUANGWA NATIONAL PARK & LOWER ZAMBEZI VALLEY
WILD DOGS of BOTSWANA
WINE & WILDLIFE SAFARIS - inquire about our WINE & WILDEBEEST MIGRATION SAFARIS!
GORILLAS IN THE MIST - RWANDA'S VOLCANOES NATIONAL PARK - CONTACT US HERE FOR PRIVATE ITINERARIES OR SET DEPARTURES
Click to set custom HTML
Elephants, Elephants, and Elephants of East Africa
Click on the image for more information
Join acclaimed elephant author and photographer Daryl Balfour (African Elephants – A Celebration of Majesty) on a safari taking in the very best elephant viewing areas in Kenya in January/February 2024 OR 2025 (dates to be finalised according to availability & preferences).
The safari, which will specifically be about elephants, photographing elephants, seeing elephants, tracking elephants and everything you ever wanted to know about elephants, visits three of the continent’s best areas for seeing and experiencing truly wild elephants. (Of course, we will see other wildlife on this safari too!) We will spend quality time with scientists active in the field of elephant research while optimising our opportunities to see and photograph elephants in the remote and scenic northern sector of Samburu National Reserve, the wild corners of Tsavo East National Park and the spectacular Amboseli National Park, where we will hope to encounter elephants on the open plains beneath the stunning backdrop of the snow-capped Mount Kilimanjaro. The snows and glaciers of Kilimanjaro are disappearing at a rapid rate, so this is a scene that is unlikely to be around for many more years, but the timing of our safari in late February or early March offers a good chance of snow on the peaks…with countless elephants on the plains below!
If time allows we will also arrange a special visit to the elephant orphanage where Dame Daphne Sheldrick has done such remarkable work with baby elephants orphaned by poachers, and attempt to find some of the young elephants she has returned to the wild in Tsavo East.
Click here to read more about Elephants of East Africa
The safari, which will specifically be about elephants, photographing elephants, seeing elephants, tracking elephants and everything you ever wanted to know about elephants, visits three of the continent’s best areas for seeing and experiencing truly wild elephants. (Of course, we will see other wildlife on this safari too!) We will spend quality time with scientists active in the field of elephant research while optimising our opportunities to see and photograph elephants in the remote and scenic northern sector of Samburu National Reserve, the wild corners of Tsavo East National Park and the spectacular Amboseli National Park, where we will hope to encounter elephants on the open plains beneath the stunning backdrop of the snow-capped Mount Kilimanjaro. The snows and glaciers of Kilimanjaro are disappearing at a rapid rate, so this is a scene that is unlikely to be around for many more years, but the timing of our safari in late February or early March offers a good chance of snow on the peaks…with countless elephants on the plains below!
If time allows we will also arrange a special visit to the elephant orphanage where Dame Daphne Sheldrick has done such remarkable work with baby elephants orphaned by poachers, and attempt to find some of the young elephants she has returned to the wild in Tsavo East.
Click here to read more about Elephants of East Africa
Tigers of Africa
Click on image for more information
Join Daryl & Sharna Balfour at a unique tiger sanctuary in South Africa where you will have unheard of opportunities for seeing and photographing Asian tigers living in the wild.
Tiger Canyons is not currently a “tourist destination” in the true sense of the word. Rather it is a working experiment in saving tigers to which you are invited along with Daryl & Sharna Balfour on an informal safari where you will be virtually guaranteed tiger sightings and opportunities to photograph tigers unlike anywhere else on earth. The tigers roam free in spectacular Karoo landscapes with everything a tiger needs – dense reed beds, freshwater pools for bathing and swimming, stark rock outcrops that make stunning photo settings, and open grasslands where prey such as eland, wildebeest, zebra, springbok, blesbuck, red hartebeest, mountain reedbuck and steenbok graze…and tigers hunt!
Our tiger safaris are informal and simply structured. We stay either in the magnificent new Tigress Julie lodge on the brim of the eponymous Tiger Canyon, or if you are on a lower budget, in restored historical cottages in the nearby village of Philippolis where we can cater for ourselves or eat in the one and only dining option in town. However by prior arrangement we can take our meals privately with John Varty at Tiger Canyons where you will be able to enjoy one-on-one chats about this visionary project, and about his passion for the big cats. All these safaris are customized according to your needs, and start either from Johannesburg or Bloemfontein, though private charter flights can land in Philippolis, weather permitting.
We offer safaris to Tiger Canyons in close co-operation with John Varty and make sure that he will be on site to entertain and educate our guests about his goals and ambitions in tiger conservation. There is some fossil evidence that tigers in fact could once have roamed Africa…and it is indisputable that lions, leopards and cheetah lived alongside tigers in Asia. Sadly the Asian lions are almost extinct, and cheetah have recently been reintroduced after becoming extinct there in recent years. Our safaris can be tailored to suit your needs and aspirations and are usually best done as an add-on to another southern African safari. We can specifically recommend a combined Big Cats safari utilizing Londolozi Game Reserve, world famous for its superb leopard viewing and great lion sightings. Guests can quite conceivably be photographing lions and leopards in the morning and be sitting with tigers that afternoon!
Click here to read more about Tigers of Africa
Tiger Canyons is not currently a “tourist destination” in the true sense of the word. Rather it is a working experiment in saving tigers to which you are invited along with Daryl & Sharna Balfour on an informal safari where you will be virtually guaranteed tiger sightings and opportunities to photograph tigers unlike anywhere else on earth. The tigers roam free in spectacular Karoo landscapes with everything a tiger needs – dense reed beds, freshwater pools for bathing and swimming, stark rock outcrops that make stunning photo settings, and open grasslands where prey such as eland, wildebeest, zebra, springbok, blesbuck, red hartebeest, mountain reedbuck and steenbok graze…and tigers hunt!
Our tiger safaris are informal and simply structured. We stay either in the magnificent new Tigress Julie lodge on the brim of the eponymous Tiger Canyon, or if you are on a lower budget, in restored historical cottages in the nearby village of Philippolis where we can cater for ourselves or eat in the one and only dining option in town. However by prior arrangement we can take our meals privately with John Varty at Tiger Canyons where you will be able to enjoy one-on-one chats about this visionary project, and about his passion for the big cats. All these safaris are customized according to your needs, and start either from Johannesburg or Bloemfontein, though private charter flights can land in Philippolis, weather permitting.
We offer safaris to Tiger Canyons in close co-operation with John Varty and make sure that he will be on site to entertain and educate our guests about his goals and ambitions in tiger conservation. There is some fossil evidence that tigers in fact could once have roamed Africa…and it is indisputable that lions, leopards and cheetah lived alongside tigers in Asia. Sadly the Asian lions are almost extinct, and cheetah have recently been reintroduced after becoming extinct there in recent years. Our safaris can be tailored to suit your needs and aspirations and are usually best done as an add-on to another southern African safari. We can specifically recommend a combined Big Cats safari utilizing Londolozi Game Reserve, world famous for its superb leopard viewing and great lion sightings. Guests can quite conceivably be photographing lions and leopards in the morning and be sitting with tigers that afternoon!
Click here to read more about Tigers of Africa
Big Cats of the Maasai Mara - February & March 2024
Click on the image for more information
Daryl & Sharna Balfour invite you to join them in one of their most popular departures in Kenya’s acclaimed Maasai Mara National Reserve. Although we have run special wildebeest migration safaris in August and September each year for the past decade we have had consistently good game viewing in the Mara at other times of the year as well. In fact we have on occasion felt that without the distractions of the migrating herds of wildebeest and the pressure we all feel to locate river crossings each day, the Mara can be at its best outside of the migration period. To this end we have scheduled three safaris in the Mara during February & March 2019. We will set up our exclusive private tented camp, accommodating a maximum of 12 guests. Acclaimed South African wildlife photographers and authors Daryl & Sharna Balfour will be on hand to offer insights into taking better photos of your safari-in-a-lifetime, while our resident naturalist guides, Pierre Burton , Andy Campbell or Phil West are among the best in East Africa and will ensure that your safari is both memorable and informative. The Mara is undoubtedly one of the best places in Africa to see and photograph the big cats – lion, leopard and cheetah – and we will spend much of our days tracking and photographing them.
Our exclusive “mobile” private tented camp offering top quality catering from our experienced and qualified safari chefs, with nine tents accommodating a maximum of 12 guests, will be erected solely for the use of these safaris, at a secluded and private location in one of the best game viewing areas of the Maasai Mara. The camp will feature spacious walk-in safari tents with a choice of large queen-sized beds or comfy twins, each with private en-suite ablution facilities featuring a fully enclosed dressing room with washbasin and clothing racks, private HOT traditional safari showers in a fully enclosed attached cubicle and a flushing toilet for each tent, while meals will be taken under the stars or in a large, airy mess tent at truly spectacular linen-covered candle-lit tables set with fine china and stemware.
We have endeavored to recreate the atmosphere of the original mobile hunting camps of the past with our camp, and this is the way Ernest Hemingway, Teddy Roosevelt, Sir Randolph Churchill and Robert Ruark experienced and wrote about Africa, (with many more modern luxury trimmings, of course) and it is the best way to avoid the over-crowded mass-market tourism of the bigger commercial lodges and safari hotels. We place a premium on the wildlife experience too, with our guides being among the best in the industry not only in finding and locating the game, but also sharing their knowledge about the country, its people and its wildlife. Our guides are all thoroughly experienced at ensuring you will have the best position and angle to optimize your photography and will offer advice any assistance whenever required.
Your eventful and full days will be spent exploring this, the northernmost limits of the Mara-Serengeti ecosystem, seeking the area’s abundant wildlife – which at this time of the year should include the big cats for which the Mara is rightly famous as well as many other of the usual plains game species along with elephants, giraffe and Cape buffalo. Our guides will do their utmost to ensure you an experience of a lifetime.
Click here to read more about Big Cats of the Maasai Mara
Our exclusive “mobile” private tented camp offering top quality catering from our experienced and qualified safari chefs, with nine tents accommodating a maximum of 12 guests, will be erected solely for the use of these safaris, at a secluded and private location in one of the best game viewing areas of the Maasai Mara. The camp will feature spacious walk-in safari tents with a choice of large queen-sized beds or comfy twins, each with private en-suite ablution facilities featuring a fully enclosed dressing room with washbasin and clothing racks, private HOT traditional safari showers in a fully enclosed attached cubicle and a flushing toilet for each tent, while meals will be taken under the stars or in a large, airy mess tent at truly spectacular linen-covered candle-lit tables set with fine china and stemware.
We have endeavored to recreate the atmosphere of the original mobile hunting camps of the past with our camp, and this is the way Ernest Hemingway, Teddy Roosevelt, Sir Randolph Churchill and Robert Ruark experienced and wrote about Africa, (with many more modern luxury trimmings, of course) and it is the best way to avoid the over-crowded mass-market tourism of the bigger commercial lodges and safari hotels. We place a premium on the wildlife experience too, with our guides being among the best in the industry not only in finding and locating the game, but also sharing their knowledge about the country, its people and its wildlife. Our guides are all thoroughly experienced at ensuring you will have the best position and angle to optimize your photography and will offer advice any assistance whenever required.
Your eventful and full days will be spent exploring this, the northernmost limits of the Mara-Serengeti ecosystem, seeking the area’s abundant wildlife – which at this time of the year should include the big cats for which the Mara is rightly famous as well as many other of the usual plains game species along with elephants, giraffe and Cape buffalo. Our guides will do their utmost to ensure you an experience of a lifetime.
Click here to read more about Big Cats of the Maasai Mara
