BREATHLESS IN BOTSWANA

This one is a wildlife-lovers dream, and offers fantastic viewing of predators and plains game with an abundance of time spent on the river for an overload of elephants, hippos, water birds and Fish eagles.

Where: our time will be spent based in two beautiful lodges/camps, exploring the abundance of wildlife of the Okavango Delta and The Chobe. For half the trip we will stay in the top-rated Pangolin Chobe Hotel (which just won 2019's Africa Leading New Hotel award), while the other half of the trip will see us stay at the The Pangolin Khwai Camp in the Okavango Delta ecosystem on one of the Northern fingers of the Delta.

Overview:

• Arrive in Maun and Charter flight from Maun to Khwai Private Reserve
• 4 Nights at the Jackal & Hide Camp ( previously called Pangolin Khwai Camp) 23/24/25/26 Nov 2020
• 4 Nights Pangolin Chobe Hotel – 27/28/29/30 Nov 2020

Itinerary (Full itinerary to be provided to participants upon arrival.)

The finer details:

Included:

• • One-on-one and group photography instruction from Dave Brosha and Paul Zizka
    
  • Airport transfers
  • All accommodations
  • Transportation during workshop
  • All meals
  • Local guide and drivers
  • Charter flight from Maun to Khwai Private Reserve
  • Charter flight from Khwai Private Reserve to Kasane

What’s Not Included:

• • Travel insurance
  • Flights to and from Botswana * please note workshop begins in Maun ends in Kasane.
  • Alcohol
  • Souvenirs
  • Any weather-caused delays/extensions to stay.

Price/Payment Schedule:
Full Cost: CAD $8000

Payment options: Full payment or non-refundable deposit to secure a space with equal installment payments.

Non-Refundable Deposit: CAD $1500 (due upon booking)

• • Payment #1: CAD $1625.00- due January 30, 2020
    Payment #2: CAD $1625.00 - due March 30, 2020
  • Payment #3: CAD $1625.00- due May 30, 2020
  • Payment #4: CAD $1625.00 - due July 30, 2020

Note: Failure to pay by due dates means forfeiting deposit and spot will be freed up and potentially sold to another interested participant (see more in cancellation policy below).

If unforeseen circumstances arise, participants are welcome to transfer/sell their space to another interested participant. In such case, participants are responsible for handling payment for the transfer.
Participants:

• • 8 minimum
  • 16 maximum

We require a minimum of 8 participants in order to run this workshop. If the minimum numbers are not reached by June 30, 2020 the workshop may be cancelled and deposits will be refunded to participants. See our cancellation policy below for more details.

Accommodations
Note: workshop price is based on shared room occupancy. For those participating in the workshop that are not traveling with a friend, partner, or spouse, we will ensure all participants are partnered with a roommate of the same sex. A limited number of single supplements are available at Chobe for an additional $750CAD.   Please send a note to erin@offbeatphoto.ca after you register to make these arrangements.  The supplement fee will be split over the installment payments.  A spousal supplement rate of $6500 is also available.  

What to expect

The workshop will include several short 2-3 kilometre hikes over uneven terrain such as uneven terrain, hills, and dunes. There is nothing technical involved, but participants should be comfortable and prepared to walk and/or climb areas in warmer temperatures with a backpack for periods of up to an hour at a time.


LEAVE NO TRACE
We encourage and live the ethics of "leave no trace" photography, which means that the utmost care is given, while hiking and photographing, to leaving zero impact on the natural environment. Participants are expected to approach this tour with the same ethics at all times.
What to Bring
Please come prepared for a variety of weather conditions as the more comfortable you are, the more enjoyable your experience will be.

• • suitable and comfortable clothing, which you can layer. It will be hot during the day, but it can cool down considerably at nights - layers are important
  • a fleece jacket/sweater
  • a headlamp or flashlight
  • your own camera equipment (preferably DSLR, which allows manual control of shutter speed, aperture and ISO settings and a range of lenses, if you have). Our recommended lenses to bring would be one wide angle lens with a fast aperture (useful for night photography), and something in the strong portrait range (50MM-135MM). Other lenses are useful, of course, but those two lenses were our most frequented "go-to" lenses.
  • a sturdy tripod
  • a cable (or wireless) shutter release
  • off-camera and/or studio equipment if that style of photography interests you
  • sunglasses

As well, we optionally recommend:

• • small first aid kit
  • blister bandages
  • water bottle
  • bandana (keep dust out of nose and mouth, protect eyes from sweat
  • air blower for sand/dust around camera/electronics
  • voltage adapters
  • a laptop for editing (with editing software, preferably Adobe)

Cancellation and Insurance Policy


CANCELLATION: Spots are non-refundable but are transferable, with the exception of a $250 administration fee. For instance, we will provide a refund, minus the administration fee, if the participant is able to find someone else to take his or her spot and can sell/transfer the spot to a new participant. Please contact us at erin@offbeatphoto.ca to make arrangements.

Although extremely unlikely, OFFBEAT Photography Inc. reserves the right to cancel the tour at any time for a variety of reasons (i.e. if a minimum number of participants is not met or if unforeseen circumstances dramatically impacted cost of the tour or global conditions somehow warranted a cancellation). In the very unlikely event of a cancellation within OFFBEAT’s control, all monies/deposits made to OFFBEAT Photography Inc. would be refunded to participants, however, no compensation would be made for participant flight cancellation fees or any other associated travel costs. See Insurance Policy for more details.In the very unlikely event of a cancellation beyond OFFBEAT’s control (I.e global situation, act of God, war, medical outbreak, extreme weather), every attempt would be made to rebook the tour within a period of two years. In this situation, no refunds would be given but every effort made to find participants a spot on the rescheduled tour or another upcoming OFFBEAT tour.

INSURANCE: It is not only advised but required that workshop participants have trip cancellation/interruption insurance, as well as emergency medical/illness insurance and rescue coverage (proof required within 4 months of departure).
Weather and other unforeseen factors can cause delays in travel, particularly from some of our more remote locations. It is the participant’s responsibility to cover any costs in the case of a travel delay of any length. Please ensure your trip cancellation/interruption insurance accommodates this possibility.

By purchasing a spot you are acknowledging that you accept these conditions.

For any additional questions, please contact us at workshops@offbeatphoto.ca
in 4 months of departure). By purchasing a spot you are acknowledging that you accept these conditions.

Travel Visa
It is the participant's responsibility to ensure they have a valid Travel Visa (if applicable/required) for the duration of the workshop.

About Dave Brosha
"Critically acclaimed....spectacular photos." - The Globe and Mail
Holding a passion for the world and an eye for the beauty it contains, northern commercial, personal, and landscape photographer Dave Brosha is on a continual journey to seek out and capture the beauty of this world – whether it’s the beauty of some of the most extreme and pristine environments in the world, or the beauty of some of a person’s most personal moments. In addition to living throughout northern Canada for much of his life, Dave – has also lived in Asia and have traveled extensively through both the many provinces and territories of their native country and numerous countries abroad.Dave’s personal affiliations and representations include the First Light agency, Aurora Images, Offset, Getty Images (stock), National Geographic (stock), and the Canadian Press, for which Dave is a freelance photographer.

About Paul Zizka
Specializing in photographing in difficult conditions and hard-to-reach places, Paul has a passion for shooting alpine sports and backcountry experiences, capturing the spirit of adventurers and finding unusual angles of common mountain subjects. As a landscape photographer, he particularly enjoys the challenge of capturing nature’s beauty at night and the unique features that come with a dark sky – stars, Northern Lights and dramatic silhouettes.

Paul’s award-winning photos have been featured in a variety of publications, includingIMPACT, Alpinist, Canadian Geographic, Islands, PhotoLife, Fodors.com and explore magazine. In addition to his work for a number of clients, over the past few years Paul has created a signature collection of images for Banff Lake Louise Tourism, which are used to promote Banff National Park throughout the world.
In the Canadian Rockies, Paul has hiked extensively in the backcountry and photographed from the summits of countless peaks. His adventures abroad include a 1400-km unsupported double-crossing of Iceland on foot (2004), which is believed to be the first of its kind, and a 1488-km solo crossing of the South Island of New Zealand (2007). Recent travels have taken him backpacking in the Caribbean, exploring tiny insular nations of the Pacific, trekking in remote corners of Scandinavia and Nepal, and ski touring on Baffin Island.

For any additional questions, please contact us at erin@offbeatphoto.ca