Zimanga Safari Photo Workshop

This tour offers opportunities to photograph wildlife. We'll maximize our chances of encountering wildlife, but we want to remind you that we don't control wildlife and cannot guarantee encounters with particular species. Itineraries for wildlife trips are subject to change based on wildlife activity.

Day 1: Arrive in Durban

Arrive at King Shaka International Airport (DUR) before 3:00 PM on this day. Air travel delays are possible, so please consider arriving early, possibly the day prior. We don't want you to miss out on trip activities.

This evening, we will gather for a group dinner, meet the photography instructors, and get to know the group before the safari begins. It is a relaxed first evening and a good chance to settle in after your travels.

Day 2: Travel to Zimanga Private Game Reserve

After breakfast, we depart Durban for Zimanga Private Game Reserve. The drive is comfortable and takes approximately three hours.

After arriving at the lodge, we will settle into our rooms, get familiar with the property, and prepare for the days ahead.

Tonight is one of the most important parts of the workshop. We will walk you through the full schedule, explain how the hides and game drives work, and prepare you for the exact photographic experiences you are about to have. We will discuss gear, camera settings, hide etiquette, low-angle photography, night hide preparation, and how to make the most of this unique safari environment.

Day 3–8: Photography at Zimanga

We will build each day at Zimanga around the best photographic opportunities available to us.

Our schedule will include day and night hides and game drives, with guests working in smaller groups so everyone has room to photograph comfortably from low angles. Working in smaller groups is one of the workshop’s great advantages, giving you space, better positioning, and a more focused experience.

During these days, you may photograph from Zimanga’s world-class photographic hides, where wildlife and birds come to water at eye level. These sessions are designed for patient, thoughtful photography, with clean backgrounds, low perspectives, and opportunities for close encounters.

Night hide sessions offer a completely different experience, with the chance to photograph nocturnal wildlife and dramatic behavior after dark. These are often some of the most memorable sessions of the workshop.

Game drives will give us the chance to work with larger wildlife in the field, including mammals, predators, and the game reserve’s broader landscape. We will focus on lighting, behavior, clean backgrounds, and proper vehicle positioning for photography.

Between field sessions, we will include classroom learning, informal instruction, and image reviews when the schedule allows. These sessions help you understand what is working, what can be improved, and how to approach the next photographic opportunity with more confidence.

Every day is designed around one goal: helping you create stronger African wildlife images while learning from professionals throughout the process.

Day 9: Final Game Drive and Return to Durban

We begin our final morning with an early game drive, making the most of our last opportunity to photograph at Zimanga.

After the drive, we return to the lodge for breakfast, pack our bags, and begin the comfortable drive back to Durban.

Departure from King Shaka International Airport (DUR). Book your departing flight no earlier than 4:00 PM on this day.