Showing posts with label South Africa. Show all posts
Showing posts with label South Africa. Show all posts
01 May 2014
Join us on our Tigers & Leopards safari with a huge discount!
Due to a cancellation we have one space to fill on our 8-18 June Tigers & Leopards tour, and time is running out. This is your chance to join the most productive tiger and leopard photography tour on this planet at a bargain price!
If you're not interested yourself, even though that seems highly unlikely, please share this message with people who you think might be. For more information, visit www.squiver.com.
29 April 2013
Last Minute Offer Tigers & Leopards 2013
Three of the four Tigers & Leopards tours are fully booked, but we still have two spaces on the trip from 27 July to 6 August.
We want to fill those last two seats, so we offer a last minute discount of 500 EURO if you make your reservation now!
If you're interested, and of course you are, then please check out the Tigers & Leopards tour page on our website, watch the tour impression video clip, or download the PDF.
This is a unique trip that will get you the best opportunities to photograph tigers and leopards in the world.
Hope to see you there!
We want to fill those last two seats, so we offer a last minute discount of 500 EURO if you make your reservation now!
If you're interested, and of course you are, then please check out the Tigers & Leopards tour page on our website, watch the tour impression video clip, or download the PDF.
This is a unique trip that will get you the best opportunities to photograph tigers and leopards in the world.
Hope to see you there!
31 October 2012
New Tour In South Africa: Tigers & Leopards
Earlier this year I was on assignment for National Geographic Traveler in India to shoot for an article on tiger safaris. I was there for a week and visited both Bandhavgarh and Ranthambore, their most famous tiger parks. It turned out to be a very frustrating experience - only on our very last game drive did we see a tiger. One tiger. After sunset. On the road. Hardly the ideal conditions for a good photograph.
Tigers are indigenous to Asia and there are many companies that offer photo tours to India, where they visit the same two parks which are supposed to be the best. But chances of you actually seeing a tiger are small, and seeing one in good photography conditions are even smaller. Unfortunately, chances of seeing a tiger in the wild are diminishing further every year, as tiger conservation on the Asian continent does not seem to be very successful. Numbers are decreasing rapidly and necessary measures, like properly fencing the national parks, are not taken.
This has always been the main reason we have never organized a tiger photography tour before - you simply can't promise good tiger sightings in those parks if you only have limited time. Another reason is that the famous tiger parks are heavily overcrowded with tourists and vehicles, and that you have to be extremely lucky to be in a good position for photography when you arrive at a sighting. Been there, done that.
And the fact that I saw just one tiger during that whole week does make one wonder how many tigers are actually still left in the national parks. Once the tiger is lost to the parks, so is the tourist potential and so too is the vital income needed to save the tiger from poachers. It’s a downward spiral.
But even though my first tiger encounter was short and far from ideal, I was impressed with this incredibly pretty cat and I was determined to get better pictures.
Tigers in South Africa?
This year we met John Varty, also known as JV. A man who has been wild about big cats most of his life. He came up with a highly controversial plan to do something about tiger conservation. His idea was to create a free-ranging, self-sustaining tiger population outside Asia. In South Africa, to be precise.
Because of his vast knowledge of wildlife conservation and his success with leopards in Londolozi, JV was invited to visit India and he offered his advise on how to improve the living conditions of the tiger. When it became clear to JV that nothing was going to change in the way tiger conservation was handled in India, he decided to take matters into his own hands.
In 2000 JV came up with the idea to buy huge stretches of farmland in South Africa and start a new game reserve - one where tigers could roam in the wild, hunting on their own, living free while protected by a huge fence; to keep the tigers in and the poachers out.
In the beginning he was criticized by conservationists, who questioned the value of what he was doing, but he hung on and continued to work with his two original tigers that came from a zoo in the USA. Two additional captive bred tigers were added to the mix and were rehabilitated to the wild, and soon the first litters were born.
In December 2010 there were already 16 tigers in the sanctuary, and it is currently the most successful tiger conservation project in the world when it comes to rapidly increasing numbers of tigers.
Meanwhile, things are changing and the world has caught up a bit with JV’s wild thinking and his “Just do it” approach. Recent news that all the tigers have disappeared from Panna, one of India’s leading reserves, when just 2 years ago there was still a healthy population of 24, has somewhat vindicated Varty’s big idea. Maybe he was not so crazy after all.
We visited JV earlier this year, spent a few days with the tigers, and we were very impressed. The tiger sanctuary is huge, the tigers have loads of space, they can hunt for themselves, and they are well protected from the outside world by a state of the art fence. We had so many good photo opportunities with the tigers, that we were instantly convinced that this is the place to go if you want good tiger images. So we decided to organize a tour to this remarkable place.
The sanctuary offers us a unique view into the life of the tiger. As the tigers are used to vehicles, we will be able to see them up close in the African landscape, allowing us to make stunning pictures of these beautiful big cats. And there will be no other tourists, just our group.
You are virtually guaranteed to see tigers on every drive. There are lots of open areas and we are allowed to drive off-road (landscape permitting) to follow a tiger when we find one. The landscape is beautiful and very diverse. There are open plains, hills, rocks, reeds, small streams and ponds. This offers us the opportunity to photograph tigers in all kinds of surroundings and situations: walking, hunting, playing, relaxing, sun bathing, jumping and swimming.
The Leopards Of Sabi Sand
The Sabi Sand Game Reserve is a collection of private game reserves that share unfenced borders with each other and Kruger NP. This allows the free movement of wildlife over more than 2 million hectares of pristine bush.
We stay at Londolozi, one of the most exclusive lodges in the park. You will experience exceptional cuisine and the very best game viewing with some of Africa’s finest rangers and trackers.
But the main reason for choosing Londolozi for our leopard tour is because of the photographic opportunities it has to offer: if you want to get good images of leopards, it just does not get any better than this! We have 2 private vehicles for our group, where you will each have your own row of seats. This allows you to move freely from side to side in the car, with ample room for your gear, and without being bothered by someone sitting next to you, blocking your view.
With over 16,000 hectares of traversing wilderness, no two game drives are ever the same. Trackers sit up at the front of the Land Rover looking for fresh animal tracks, while rangers drive with great skill through ravines and thickets in pursuit of elusive animals. Although the focus of this trip is on leopards, we are a Big Five area, so you may expect to encounter lion, rhino, buffalo and elephant as well.
Breeding herds of elephant and buffalo roam throughout the Londolozi area, while white rhino and lion concentrations are amongst the highest recorded on the African continent. However, it is the truly remarkable relationship between wild free ranging leopards and ranger & trackers which has developed over three decades that has made Londolozi world famous.
There is no disputing that viewing the leopards of Londolozi is one of life’s truly treasured experiences. And it is exactly the reason that we chose this amazing camp to photograph leopards. It is simply the best!
The tour includes daily briefings, in the field instructions, image reviews, and post processing tips.
If you want to join us on this spectacular tour, don't wait too long because the trips are filling fast! We have several departure dates in June and July 2013, but there is limited space available per tour, as we travel in very small groups of just 6 guests.
Check out the Tigers & Leopards Photo Tour page for more information and a detailed PDF.
Hope to see you there!
Marsel
Tigers are indigenous to Asia and there are many companies that offer photo tours to India, where they visit the same two parks which are supposed to be the best. But chances of you actually seeing a tiger are small, and seeing one in good photography conditions are even smaller. Unfortunately, chances of seeing a tiger in the wild are diminishing further every year, as tiger conservation on the Asian continent does not seem to be very successful. Numbers are decreasing rapidly and necessary measures, like properly fencing the national parks, are not taken.
This has always been the main reason we have never organized a tiger photography tour before - you simply can't promise good tiger sightings in those parks if you only have limited time. Another reason is that the famous tiger parks are heavily overcrowded with tourists and vehicles, and that you have to be extremely lucky to be in a good position for photography when you arrive at a sighting. Been there, done that.
And the fact that I saw just one tiger during that whole week does make one wonder how many tigers are actually still left in the national parks. Once the tiger is lost to the parks, so is the tourist potential and so too is the vital income needed to save the tiger from poachers. It’s a downward spiral.
But even though my first tiger encounter was short and far from ideal, I was impressed with this incredibly pretty cat and I was determined to get better pictures.
Tigers in South Africa?
This year we met John Varty, also known as JV. A man who has been wild about big cats most of his life. He came up with a highly controversial plan to do something about tiger conservation. His idea was to create a free-ranging, self-sustaining tiger population outside Asia. In South Africa, to be precise.
This tour impression video was shot & edited by Daniëlla
In 2000 JV came up with the idea to buy huge stretches of farmland in South Africa and start a new game reserve - one where tigers could roam in the wild, hunting on their own, living free while protected by a huge fence; to keep the tigers in and the poachers out.
In the beginning he was criticized by conservationists, who questioned the value of what he was doing, but he hung on and continued to work with his two original tigers that came from a zoo in the USA. Two additional captive bred tigers were added to the mix and were rehabilitated to the wild, and soon the first litters were born.
In December 2010 there were already 16 tigers in the sanctuary, and it is currently the most successful tiger conservation project in the world when it comes to rapidly increasing numbers of tigers.
Meanwhile, things are changing and the world has caught up a bit with JV’s wild thinking and his “Just do it” approach. Recent news that all the tigers have disappeared from Panna, one of India’s leading reserves, when just 2 years ago there was still a healthy population of 24, has somewhat vindicated Varty’s big idea. Maybe he was not so crazy after all.
We visited JV earlier this year, spent a few days with the tigers, and we were very impressed. The tiger sanctuary is huge, the tigers have loads of space, they can hunt for themselves, and they are well protected from the outside world by a state of the art fence. We had so many good photo opportunities with the tigers, that we were instantly convinced that this is the place to go if you want good tiger images. So we decided to organize a tour to this remarkable place.
The sanctuary offers us a unique view into the life of the tiger. As the tigers are used to vehicles, we will be able to see them up close in the African landscape, allowing us to make stunning pictures of these beautiful big cats. And there will be no other tourists, just our group.
You are virtually guaranteed to see tigers on every drive. There are lots of open areas and we are allowed to drive off-road (landscape permitting) to follow a tiger when we find one. The landscape is beautiful and very diverse. There are open plains, hills, rocks, reeds, small streams and ponds. This offers us the opportunity to photograph tigers in all kinds of surroundings and situations: walking, hunting, playing, relaxing, sun bathing, jumping and swimming.
The Leopards Of Sabi Sand
The Sabi Sand Game Reserve is a collection of private game reserves that share unfenced borders with each other and Kruger NP. This allows the free movement of wildlife over more than 2 million hectares of pristine bush.
We stay at Londolozi, one of the most exclusive lodges in the park. You will experience exceptional cuisine and the very best game viewing with some of Africa’s finest rangers and trackers.
But the main reason for choosing Londolozi for our leopard tour is because of the photographic opportunities it has to offer: if you want to get good images of leopards, it just does not get any better than this! We have 2 private vehicles for our group, where you will each have your own row of seats. This allows you to move freely from side to side in the car, with ample room for your gear, and without being bothered by someone sitting next to you, blocking your view.
With over 16,000 hectares of traversing wilderness, no two game drives are ever the same. Trackers sit up at the front of the Land Rover looking for fresh animal tracks, while rangers drive with great skill through ravines and thickets in pursuit of elusive animals. Although the focus of this trip is on leopards, we are a Big Five area, so you may expect to encounter lion, rhino, buffalo and elephant as well.
Breeding herds of elephant and buffalo roam throughout the Londolozi area, while white rhino and lion concentrations are amongst the highest recorded on the African continent. However, it is the truly remarkable relationship between wild free ranging leopards and ranger & trackers which has developed over three decades that has made Londolozi world famous.
There is no disputing that viewing the leopards of Londolozi is one of life’s truly treasured experiences. And it is exactly the reason that we chose this amazing camp to photograph leopards. It is simply the best!
The tour includes daily briefings, in the field instructions, image reviews, and post processing tips.
If you want to join us on this spectacular tour, don't wait too long because the trips are filling fast! We have several departure dates in June and July 2013, but there is limited space available per tour, as we travel in very small groups of just 6 guests.
Check out the Tigers & Leopards Photo Tour page for more information and a detailed PDF.
Hope to see you there!
Marsel
28 February 2012
New Puzzle now available
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05 August 2009
Loads of leopards in South Africa
We just finished this year's Extreme Leopards tour in South Africa, and it was fantastic. Not only did we see 16 different leopards in 10 days (!), we also had a wonderful group which made it even more enjoyable. The first camp we stayed in we had completely to ourselves, which was really nice. Dallas, Mike and Retief, our excellent guides, did a superb job finding leopards for us, helped by some of the best trackers in the region. Every now and then we had to do some serious off-road driving to find our elusive subjects, but that only added to the safari experience; exciting and fun! The days after a large elephant kill we had more difficulties finding leopards, due to a sudden increase of predators in the area, in particular hyena and lion, so we decided to spend more time on some of the other animal species. But it didn't take long before the leopards showed up again and we were presented with excellent sightings.
The last 3 days of the trip we spent at another lodge in a different area. Even though we were still in the same park, the habitat was completely different and made for a nice change for our images. Our leopard sightings got even better here, with one female and a cub, and another female with two cubs - exactly what we were all hoping for! On one day, one of our vehicles even made a 12-hour long game drive with non-stop action from one of the females and her cub - an unforgettable experience. Thanks to Chris, Gareth and Graham, our expert guides for all the hard work!
We all returned to Johannesburg with more leopards shots than we could count, and six pounds heavier from all the good food our chef Chedrick prepared for us... Four people from this year's group already indicated that they would like to join us again on this same trip next year - we're already looking forward to shooting with you again!
01 February 2009
Special offer on leopards tour
Original price: 4500 EURO. Now only 3450 EURO per person! - We already managed to decrease the price of the Extreme Leopards Photo Trip, but we can now offer you an even bigger discount on this amazing trip. Based on a group of just 10 guests, we will take you to an amazing Big Five area, which is famous for its sightings of leopards. With only 4 people per vehicle and 10 full days of safari for only 3450 EURO (approx. 4500 USD), we expect this trip to be very popular! Please visit our website to view the new leopards gallery and to read more about this wonderful trip! Bookings should be in before 15 May 2009.
28 November 2008
New video added for the Extreme Leopards Photo Trip
We've added a new video to our website with an extensive impression of our Extreme Leopards Photo Trip in South Africa. It is a Big-5 safari, during which you will spend many hours photographing leopards in the wild. It is the best South Africa has to offer!
19 July 2008
Photographing leopards
New Squiver Photo Trip, July/August 2009 - We are proud to present an amazing new Photo Trip, focusing on photographing the most beautiful of the African Big Cats: the leopard. The leopard is notoriously difficult to find, and the chance that you will encounter one in good light, and long enough to take some good shots during a gamedrive in one of the many parks Africa has to offer, is usually slim to none. That is why we will take you to Sabi Sands, the best place in the world to see and photograph this prestigious animal in the wild. This area has the highest leopard-density in the world and our specialized guides and trackers know exactly how and where to find them.
The first week we have our own private camp: six luxury suites, each with a private viewing deck overlooking the riverbed, indoor and outdoor showers and air-conditioning. Thatched roofs, mosquito nets draped over the comfortable beds and beautiful wooden finishes complete the picture of an exclusive safari getaway. The last three nights of safari are spend in luxury rooms at the main camp of MalaMala, a private reserve in Sabi Sands, renowned for the excellent leopard viewing. 99% of guests spending 2 nights there experience more than one leopard sighting a day! And although our focus will be on leopards, we are in Big Five area and may encounter lion, rhino, buffalo and elephant as well. This is South Africa at its very best!
All gamedrives are done "Squiver-style", which means that you will have your own row of seats in order to move around freely in the car and to have an uninterrupted view on your subject, regardless of it being on the right or left side of the vehicle. This 12-day trip gives you 10 full days of gameviewing with 20 gamedrives in one of the finest wildlife areas of the world!
Join us next year on this new Photo Trip!
You can access the Extreme Leopard webpage via the general Photo Trips page on the Squiver website.
The first week we have our own private camp: six luxury suites, each with a private viewing deck overlooking the riverbed, indoor and outdoor showers and air-conditioning. Thatched roofs, mosquito nets draped over the comfortable beds and beautiful wooden finishes complete the picture of an exclusive safari getaway. The last three nights of safari are spend in luxury rooms at the main camp of MalaMala, a private reserve in Sabi Sands, renowned for the excellent leopard viewing. 99% of guests spending 2 nights there experience more than one leopard sighting a day! And although our focus will be on leopards, we are in Big Five area and may encounter lion, rhino, buffalo and elephant as well. This is South Africa at its very best!
All gamedrives are done "Squiver-style", which means that you will have your own row of seats in order to move around freely in the car and to have an uninterrupted view on your subject, regardless of it being on the right or left side of the vehicle. This 12-day trip gives you 10 full days of gameviewing with 20 gamedrives in one of the finest wildlife areas of the world!Join us next year on this new Photo Trip!
You can access the Extreme Leopard webpage via the general Photo Trips page on the Squiver website.
09 April 2008
Leopards, leopards and leopards...
Of the African Big Cats, the leopard is not only one of the prettiest, it is also the most elusive one and notoriously difficult to photograph. We are currently putting together a new and exciting Photo Trip primarily focusing on this magnificent animal. For this purpose we have selected a region with the highest leopard density in South Africa. Specialized guides will accompany us on 10 full days of safari during this trip in July 2009. Encounters with these beautiful creatures are 100% guaranteed, but expect to also see lion, elephant, rhino and buffalo to name a few! More information on this trip will be featured in our next newsletter and on our website.
18 June 2007
Report from our trip through South-Africa for the book Wild Romance
It's been two months since we arrived in South-Africa, and our visit brought us everything we hoped for: wild dogds, black rhino, lion cubs, baby elephants, hyena pups, leopards and lots of other species. We're now in the final stage of the first part of our Africa project. We'll spend two more weeks in Madagascar, and then we're off to Amsterdam again. So far the trip has been amazing. We've spent months in the wilderness and it will take some time to re-adjust to everyday city life again.
As far as the photo gear is concerned - most of it has survived the bumps and the dust, lots of dust, and ou backs are still in one piece, despite the 20kg of camera gear we each lug around every day.
One of our back-up cameras lost autofocus, one of the screws of our window mount broke off, and one of the legs of Daniëlla's tripod broke after she was charged by a warthog - just another day in the African bush...
As far as the photo gear is concerned - most of it has survived the bumps and the dust, lots of dust, and ou backs are still in one piece, despite the 20kg of camera gear we each lug around every day.
One of our back-up cameras lost autofocus, one of the screws of our window mount broke off, and one of the legs of Daniëlla's tripod broke after she was charged by a warthog - just another day in the African bush...
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