Leopards of Londolozi
This leopard photo safari takes you to the best place to see leopards in Africa and is the best African leopard photography safari you can do. Indulge in leopard photography to your heart’s content on this South Africa photography safari. Scroll down to see a portfolio from this safari and click on any image to enlarge.
This South Africa photography safari is offered as a private safari only by filling out the form at the end of this page. It is highly recommend that you extend your stay in South Africa to see even more leopards and wildlife. Watch this YouTube video from a South Africa ‘green season leopard safari’. Extending is super easy, we simply drive to the neighbouring reserves.
If you not looking for a private safari but still want to photograph leopards, then take a look at this Africa photo safari.
A Leopard Photo Safari Experience
The Leopards Of Londolozi is a one-of-a-kind safari that has been specifically designed around leopard photography and the green season. You will be taken to the best place to see leopards in Africa, Londolozi Private Game Reserve. This South Africa photography safari takes place exclusively in Londolozi, where leopard photography and filming first began. It is still the ultimate home of Africa’s most enigmatic and striking predator, the leopard.
Almost all other African leopard photography safaris run during the South African winter months from (June-Sep). At this time the bush is dry and brown. This leopard photo safari however, runs in the South African summer, when the bush is lush and green. A leopard photo in the greenery the most beautiful photograph of a leopard you can take! This leopard photo safari will see you building a beautiful and unique portfolio of leopard photography that will really stand out from the crowd.
Londolozi has been chosen very carefully for this leopard photo safari as they have expert trackers who are able to track leopards. This is especially important in our summer months (Nov-March) when the bush is lush and green. For this safari we have secured the best ranger and tracker team at Londolozi, and both are from the Shangaan tribe.
For those of you wanting to extend your South Africa photography safari, I highly recommend adding on a few extra nights at Mala Mala Game Reserve, which is right next-door. By combining Londolozi and Mala Mala it is not uncommon to see a dozen different leopards, making this the best place to see leopards in the world! You can also extend to Botswana’s Mashatu Game Reserve which is also one of Africa’s top photo safari destinations. Another option is to extend into the Okavango Delta where your big cat photo safari can continue. Of course you can do all the above in a single safari as it makes perfect logistical sense!
Keep reading for the itinerary details and a portfolio from this leopard photo safari.
Londolozi Leopard Photo Safari Details
A 5 day (4 night) itinerary is recommended for this South Africa photography safari, but since it is booked privately, it can be as long as you like. You can also easily extend your leopard photo safari by adding on Mala Mala, Mashatu and the Okavango Delta. Simply fill out the form at the end of this page to receive your bespoke African leopard photography safari itinerary.
- Leopards of Londolozi
- ON REQUEST ONLY
- The cost and dates of this safari will depend on whether you are traveling alone or in a group, and if you choose to do any of the safari extensions listed at the bottom of this page and can be customized to your unique tastes.
Costs on this South Africa photography safari will include all accommodation; meals; laundry; drinks (excluding premium brands and selected wines); park fees; internal flights; meet and greet service with transfers; private safari drives with exclusive vehicle use; photographic tuition and the guiding services of professional and African wildlife photographer Greg du Toit.
Not included in the cost are visas; purchases of a personal nature; staff gratuities; personal travel and medical insurance; your international flights.
40% deposit confirms your booking on this leopard photo safari.
Your Leopard Photo Safari Itinerary
Arrive Johannesburg
Your South Africa photography safari begins in Johannesburg where from the international airport it is a short 10 minute drive to the small private Federal Airlines airport terminal and your transfer has been prearranged. Unlike other small airports in Africa, this one is pleasant and luxurious. With no long lines, you will soon be seated in a comfortable air conditioned lounge with snacks and coffee on offer. An additional luggage allowance means you do not need to worry about gear on your African leopard photography safari.
A 1 hour flight on a light aircraft will see you land at Londolozi, the best place to see leopards in Africa. This dedicated airstrip is only five minutes from your lodge and you will have time to settle in and enjoy a delicious lunch. The food at Londolozi is so good that they have even published their own cookbook!
After lunch we will get our cameras and lenses ready for the first safari drive and for leopard photography! I will go through a few key checks with you so that you are ready to capture award-winning imagery from the very first drive. On this leopard photo safari we cater for all types of photographers, from the very beginner to the very advanced and skilled. Your first safari drive will not be a mere introduction as the photography will start in earnest and will only end in the dark, when we pull out the spotlights and continue photographing.
The first day on your South Africa photo safari will end around a fire and with an incredibly delicious buffet. For the health conscious there is a salad bar at Londolozi and fresh seafood. For the carnivores among you, Londolozi sources its meat from the finest butcheries in South Africa.
Your night will end with you returning to your air-conditioned room. The rooms have full power so charging is not an issue at all on this leopard photo safari).
Londolozi Game Reserve
These 3 long and beautiful summer days will be spent indulging in leopard photography at Londolozi. This is one of the original pioneering private game reserves of the eco-tourism industry in South Africa and is an unashamedly family run and stand-alone operation. The root of the word Londolozi is a Zulu word meaning ‘protector of all living things’, an ambitious conservation ethic that Londolozi embraces in its sensitivity to the natural world. The reserve is internationally recognised for its far-sighted and progressive management of land and wildlife rehabilitation as well as productive community involvement.
World renowned as one of Africa’s finest game lodges, Londolozi was the first game reserve in the world to be awarded Relais & Chateaux status, reinforcing its commitment to luxurious accommodation, fine cuisine and exceptional service. Londolozi was recognized as the #1 Hotel in the World with the Conde Nast Traveler Readers Choice Award. To wet your appetite some more, Londolozi run a very active blog here.
Our days on your African leopard photography safari begin early with a 5 am wake-up call where tea and coffee will be brought to your room. At 5h30 am we head out into the wilderness that is Londolozi and the best place to see leopards in Africa. Some days we will head south to the large open plains that are the preferred habitat of the cheetah and rhino. Other days we will cross the river and head into the north where beautiful ‘koppies‘ (rocky outcrops) are home to some of the finest leopard viewing in all of Africa (read more about the leopards here). You will hardly see any other cars on this South Africa photography safari as we track down Africa’s big game.
Londolozi is a private game reserve within the Greater Kruger National Park of South Africa. Not only are there no fences but this is one of the largest ecosystems in Africa, bigger even than the Serengeti National Park, and in which we have our own private concession. The animals we will track are wild – no bait, collars or tracking devices are used. This is the real deal and you will photograph numerous leopards in their wild habitat.
Having been born in South Africa and having visited this region my entire life, I have very carefully selected Londolozi to host this safari. Not only has Londolozi done more in terms of catering for wildlife photographers than other lodges but their land lies at the heart of a highly productive game viewing area. We are right in the middle of numerous leopard and lion territories and this is the best places in Africa to see leopards, and to photograph the BIG 5, and all the other general game – including the exciting possibility of seeing African Wild Dog. We have maximum freedom and exclusivity on this African leopard photography safari, making this a sublime safari that will see you go home with full memory cards, and memories to treasure for life.
We will have breakfast sent out to us each morning on this South Africa photography safari as we are here to photograph. When the sun is too harsh we will head back to camp and enjoy a leisurely lunch and choice South African wine (but not too much as VR and IS only work up to a point).
After a cup of tea, coffee or cappuccino, and some delicious cake, we head out on the afternoon drive at 4 pm. It is Summer time here in Africa (Nov-March) and the afternoons are long which means that the light just gets better and better. We will again track down leopards and search for cubs. Low-light photography is my specialty and I look forward to helping you photograph predators, owls and chameleons at night on this South Africa photography safari.
We will arrive back in camp after our leopard photography in time for a delicious dinner around the campfire, followed by nightcaps for those who still have energy to reminisce about the day. After turning in, the good news is that we wake the next day only to do it all again. With the long summer days it means that although this African leopard photography safari is 4 nights long, you will get 5 days worth of photography out of it.
Depart for home or continue with a Mala Mala, Mashatu and Okavango extension…
After one last safari drive, you will take a 1 hour flight back to Johannesburg for your onward travel home. For those of you not wanting to head home there are a number of exciting options to extend your South Africa photography safari. Mala Mala is just next-door, where more leopards await. A wonderful option would be to add Mashatu Game Reserve to your itinerary and where the green season can result in a spectacular bloom of yellow flowers. Or you can head up to the Okavango Delta for more leopard photography. Why not do all three of these options and make it the ultimate big cat photo safari. Another option is to do an urban photo safari in Cape Town as March is the best month weather wise.
* These private extensions are handled on a per request basis and should you wish to extend, please mention it in the contact form at the bottom of this page.
Browse the portfolio of photographs below and click on any image to enlarge.
Your photographic possibilities on this workshop
Why this African leopard photography safari is for you…
– Although you sign up for this safari to build a phenomenal portfolio of leopard photography, being in a comfortable lodge does not hurt, right? Londolozi offers not only the best place to see leopards in Africa but also fine hospitality and scrumptious cuisine and luxurious air conditioned rooms.
– Vehicles are an incredibly important part of any photo safari and Londolozi have extremely comfortable vehicles with soft suspension and no roof or poles to get in the way. During this exclusive African leopard photography safari, you will be able to shoot out the left and the right of the safari truck.
– The vehicles at Londolozi have custom-built beanbag platforms allowing for easy and effective camera support, so no clumsy monopods needed on this leopard photo safari.
– Londolozi have their own tracking school and with our own dedicated tracker we will track down and photograph Africa’s shyest big cat, the leopard. Tracking leopards is more than a skill, it’s an art form, making this the best place to see leopards in Africa.
– Although the focus of this safari is on leopard photography, Londolozi is a BIG 5 safari destination with the possibility of seeing African Wild Dog, plus rhino, elephant, buffalo and lion, not to mention Africa’s other iconic animals like warthog, hippopotamus, giraffe and zebra.
– This is a highly exclusive leopard photo safari and as such, you do not want lots of cars at animal sightings. At Londolozi you will seldom see other vehicles as sightings are limited to only 3 vehicles per sighting and animals are treated with the utmost respect.
– As an African wildlife photographer I have spent the last 13 years documenting the African leopard. This has resulted in published portfolios in both the BBC Wildlife and Geo magazines. On this African leopard photography safari I will share with you my recipe for photographing predators in low-light. I will not only help with camera settings and recommendations but with the positioning the vehicle to take advantage of the light and unique animal behaviour.
– The time of year for this South Africa photography safari has been carefully so as to visit Londolozi in the South African summer (Nov – March). Almost all safaris to Africa run in our winter months and this results in almost all leopard photographs looking similar. For this leopard photo safari we have chosen a time of year when there are dramatic storm skies and beautiful green backgrounds. The air is clean and the light is crisp. There might be thunder showers but it will actually aid our leopard photography as the lighting in and around these afternoon storms is simply sublime. If you would prefer to do your leopard safari during the more traditional time of winter (June/July) we can easily do this too.
– This leopard photo safari safari affords you the opportunity to photograph leopards, Africa’s most beautiful cat, and not only this, but to also capture them in the most stunning green sub-tropical habitat.
– If you have not visited Africa in the Summer months, then you are in for a treat as the bush is simply bursting forth with life. The migrant birds are all here, butterflies and dung beetles are the order of the day, as are wild flowers. Bring your wide-angle lenses and macro lenses along too.
– Although the chief objective of this safari is leopard photography, we have a full itinerary and plenty of time to capture the diversity of life. There are no long distances to cover at Londolozi as the camp is situated in the heart of the reserve, which means that you have lots of opportunity to enjoy your photography. The Summer days are long which means more time in the field and more photo opportunities!
– For those of you wanting to extend your stay, Mala Mala is right next-door and Mashatu Game Reserve in Botswana is only 2 hours away. Why not make this a green season extravaganza and extend your safari to the Okavango Delta where your leopard photo safari can continue. When filling out a form at the bottom of this page, simply mention extending your safari and you will receive your own bespoke itinerary.
* Still got questions? See the FAQ I wrote about African photographic safaris.
Southern Africa Predator Extensions
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