I have finalized pricing on the last of my 2019 photo tours. Every one of my trips next year, with the exception of my September Great Bear Rainforest tour, have space available. Here’s a quick rundown of the exciting adventures that lay ahead.
Tanzania Photo Safari
February 9 – 20, 2019: $9250 per person, based on double occupancy
Join me on a classic Tanzania photo safari! We’re heading to east Africa to explore Tanzania during what may be the best time of year for predator activity on the plains.
This new photo tour will allow us to enjoy some of the highlights of Tanzania’s northern safari circuit, including the famed Serengeti and Ngorongoro Crater. We’ll also have off-roading privileges in the Ndutu Conservation Area, a visit to Lake Manyara National Park, and even a walking safari in Arusha National Park. Witness the spectacle that is the culmination of the annual wildebeest migration, when millions of antelope drop their calves on the green plains of the Serengeti. This birthing ritual brings out the predators, and we’ll expect to see plenty of big cats, including lions, leopards and cheetahs.
Of course, being in Africa, we want to photograph more than just the big cats, and we’ll be treated to some amazing biodiversity. Elephants, giraffes, rhinos (including the possibility of seeing the critically endangered black rhino) and other large mammals will be on our wish list. Being the wet season, we can expect heightened bird activity. From eagles and owls to more colorful migrating birds, it should be a great time for bird photography to complement all of the mammals we’ll see.
Costa Rica Photo Tour: Quetzals to Corcovado
March 13 – 21, 2019 (through March 24 w/extension): $5495 per person, based on double occupancy
I added this tour to the schedule only recently due to high interest, but there are still a few spots left. Our itinerary first takes us high up into the cloud forest to search for the resplendent quetzal, one of the world’s most spectacular birds. From there we’ll head to the central Caribbean slope, a great spot for colorful frogs, mammals and a variety of birds. The rest of the trip is devoted to the Pacific coastal lowlands, a hotspot for biodiversity.
The optional extension may take us into Corcovado National Park, the best spot in the country for wildlife (due to new park regulations, we cannot secure reservations prior to 30 days before arrival, so we have set Tortuguero National Park as a fallback extension destination). Though Corcovado is a challenging environment, sightings of tapirs and several other mammal (including cats!) and bird species can usually be very rewarding.
Pumas of Patagonia Photo Tour
May 4 – 11, 2019: $7690 per person, based on double occupancy
Come face to face with the Americas’ most elusive major predator: the puma!
The Wild Pumas of Patagonia photo tour will take you to heart of puma country in the rugged mountains of southern Chile. You’ll have an opportunity to track wild mountain lions in their natural environment, photographing them amidst the rolling hills and dramatic peaks of the southern Andes.
Thanks to a team of expert guides and trackers, our chance to get puma photos is virtually guaranteed. Our experienced tracking team has become familiar with many of these cats over the years, so they have insight into the different cats’ territories and behaviors, which only increases our chances of encountering a puma in the wild.
This week-long photo tour will be based both in Parque Nacional Torres del Paine and on private land bordering the park. Thanks to an agreement with the land owner, our guided tour group will have greater flexibility to explore the estancia neighboring the national park, which gives us even better chances to see and photograph pumas up close.
In addition to pumas, we’ll be on the lookout for other wildlife and landscape photo opportunities during the week.
Yellowstone Spring Wildlife Photo Tour
June 2 – 8, 2019: $3325 per person, based on double occupancy
Join me on a one week photo adventure in the world’s first national park. This is a peak wildlife photography period in Yellowstone. Our targets include newborn animals (bison and elk calves, bear cubs), predators seeking out old winter kills and birds that are nesting or migrating through.
I will serve as your driver, guide and adviser on this adventure. Though this is primarily a tour rather than a hard-core workshop, I will be on hand to shoot alongside you and advise you as needed as you photograph Yellowstone’s great variety of subject matter.
This is the one tour I run every year (we just concluded the 2018 trip, and it was fantastic), and it’s also the most affordable tour option I offer, so if you’ve never participated in a photo tour before, it’s a great option!
