Botswana & Zambia Safari Adventure
May 27 – June 8, 2026
Dates:
May 27 - June 8, 2026
Your Pros:
Juan Pons & Jaclyn Merica
Tuition:
$19,995.00 USD
Location:
Botswana & Zambia, Africa
Fitness Level:
Easy
Availability:
8 Seats Per Workshop
Dates:
May 27 - June 8, 2026
Your Pros:
Juan Pons
Jaclyn Merica
Tuition:
$19,995.00 USD
Location:
Botswana and Zambia, Africa
Fitness Level:
Easy
Availability:
8 Seats Per Workshop
Botswana and Zambia's Unique Wilderness
Join us on a wildlife photography adventure of a lifetime to the beautiful countries of Botswana and Zambia, Africa. Together, we scout for the iconic African Big 5, as well as species like the wildebeest, warthog, crocodile, giraffe, baboons, red lechwe, kudu, oryx, hippopotamus, hyena, jackal, African wild dog, zebra, mongoose, an abundance of bird species, and much, much more.
For our 2026 season, we’ve committed to investing more time in specific locations for an even more in depth safari experience. For 12 adventure-packed days, we travel by land, water, and air to extensively explore Botswana’s stunning Okavango Delta (UNESCO World Hertitage site), Botswana’s prized Chobe River, and Zambia’s vast South Luangwa National Park. These habitats are among the most premier destinations in the world for wildlife photography.
This 2026 itinerary introduces a new Okavango Delta bush camp in our repertoire, a place some locals refer to as “the land of milk and honey”. This superb accommodation is small and private, and has become our favorite cameo in the Botswana Delta, with ample big cat sightings, including cheetahs.
As we make our way north, we stop for 3 days in Botswana’s Chobe National Park. Here, we enjoy river safaris aboard a custom-built photo boat with specially mounted gimbal heads to experience exciting perspectives on the wildlife.
Lastly, we finish our trip in the wilderness of South Luangwa National Park, located about 400 miles east from the capital city, Lusaka. With the densest concentration of leopards in the world, visitors have a distinct advantage of seeing these elusive and mythical beauties in the “Leopard Valley”, where many others have never visited before. Zambia is also known as “The Land of the Living Night”, and our group has the opportunity for nighttime game drives to spot the more elusive species as they hunt and navigate this extremely remote terrain.
This workshop is an all-inclusive experience, with all aspects of your trip organized for you. Our team has arranged top-notch accommodations, comfortable private air and ground transportation, and quality dining every step of the way. On this photography workshop, our small group looks forward to private safari excursions, river cruises, and optional helicopter rides to witness the magnitude of the landscape and its incredible species that inhabit the region during the transitioning of seasons.
This workshop offers both in the field instruction, as well as image reviews and editing sessions while at basecamp, so we can best hone in your images and streamline your creative visions while on our adventure.
Our accommodations offer unparalleled comfort and amenities, despite the remote locations of our camps. Wake up to giraffe grazing outside your door, enjoy private pools as elephants swim by in the mid-day sun, and enjoy a sundowner along a scenic gorge after a day well spent photographing astounding wildlife. Our dining options during our gathering are incomparable, and food is always top quality. Private chefs cook delicious, local cuisine for us at each location. We prioritize good meals and great group dinners at the end of each day.
I believe that in order to truly enjoy your experience, and to receive the most out of an adventure photography workshop, we must keep groups small and have a very high ratio of instructors to participants. We’ve limited this workshop to a maximum of 8 participants, a photo instructor, and a team of very experienced local wildlife guides.
This is a unique educational excursion, and by capping the number of participants, we are ensuring everyone gets the attention and one-on-one instruction they need to make once in a lifetime images while visiting this bucket list destination.
You will be accompanied by Juan Pons and Jaclyn Merica during this photo safari. Juan is a professional wildlife and travel photographer and photographic educator who has a deep passion for the outdoors and conservation. Jaclyn is Juan’s assistant, co-leading workshops in places like Chile, Madagascar, Cuba, Alaska, and more.
Juan and his team believe the best way to teach is by demonstrating, and to this end, we will be shooting alongside you, showing you our technique, and sharing our love and knowledge of wildlife and the landscape. However, our priority is always YOU, and assisting you to get the best images YOU can get.
The biggest advantage of having small groups is the flexibility they provide for customizing and adjusting our schedule to accommodate both to the unpredictable weather and the unique interests of the group as a whole. This allows us to cover only those topics that you are all interested in, including:
• Techniques for creating exciting and captivating wildlife images
• Digital darkroom demos to enhance the quality of your images
• Best use of your equipment
• Image reviews
Juan’s workshops are fairly intensive experiences, and you should not expect this to be a leisurely vacation. Our collective goal is to capture the best images we can during our time in this remarkable location. This means there will be days we begin very early and return to camp very late. However, we will almost always have breaks and long lunch rest hours.
You should expect to receive important details to secure your flights arriving into Maun, Botswana and departing from Lusaka, Zambia about 7 months prior to the workshop. Most flights from the US will connect through Johannesburg, South Africa.
Then, about 3 months prior to the workshop, you will start hearing from me and my team on a regular basis. I will provide you with a Workshop Information Packet with all relevant details, as well as go over more info regarding the workshop to get you inspired and thinking about the images you want to capture during the workshop. At this time, you will also receive from me a list of recommended clothing, equipment, and even discounts for equipment you may want to acquire for this excursion.
My assistant, Jaclyn, and I are always available to answer any questions you may have leading up to the workshop- simply call or email and we can help you as best we can.
Additionally, we will schedule a Zoom meeting 10 – 12 weeks prior to the start of our workshop. There, you can meet your fellow workshop participants, ask any questions before traveling, receive insights and recommendations for reference books, and much more.
2026
Tuition for the workshop is $19,995 USD for double occupancy per person.
On this workshop, there is limited availability for single occupancy rooms due to the remote bush camps limited accommodations lodgings. There are only two single rooms available and 3 double suites available during the excursion. If you would like to enjoy a private room during our excursion, that can be arranged for an additional supplement of $4,000 USD.
If you would like to reserve your spot on this workshop, you can do so with a $8,995.00 USD deposit. The balance of the workshop fee ($11,000 USD), is due 5 months prior to the first day of the workshop.
If you are in need of a special payment arrangement, please reach out and we are happy to work with you.
• 12 nights luxury lodging
• AM/PM private safari excursions
• All privately chartered flights within Botswana and/or Zambia
• All meals and snacks during the workshop
• Non-alcoholic beverages during the workshop
• All permits, fees, and gratuities
• In-the-field instruction
• Inspiration
• Camaraderie
• An unforgettable time
• Inbound and outbound air travel from your home to Botswana and Zambia
• Supplemental private helicopter rides
• Any applicable passport and visa fees
• Items of a personal nature, such as laundry and alcoholic beverages
• Travel, Medical, and Trip Cancellation Insurance (optional, but highly recommended)
• Anything else specifically not listed as included
• You are responsible for making your own flight arrangements to and from Botswana and Zambia. We will assist you with flight arrival times and departures prior to your booking. Please do not book your international flight reservations until you receive explicit instructions from our team.
• Clients must make their own domestic flight arrangements from Livingstone, Zambia to Mfuwe, Zambia for our South Luangwa portion of the excursion. Please do not book your domestic flight reservations until you receive explicit instructions from our team.
• Deposit is fully refundable up until 5 months prior to the start of the workshop, NO REFUNDS are permitted within 5 months prior to the start of the workshop.
• Dates are subject to slight changes as we finalize our itineraries.
• Make sure to check the Terms and Conditions for all my workshops.
We highly recommend Travel Insurance from a reputable insurance company. I have partnered with Squaremouth, a website that allows you to compare multiple travel policies from multiple providers to choose the best one for you based on your needs and costs. Check them out here: https://www.squaremouth.com/
When photographing wildlife, the key is to remain flexible and open to adjustments in order to maximize our daily itinerary as needed to observe the behavior of the wildlife and weather conditions.
Our workshops are purposefully scheduled at an optimal time of year to observe the spectacular wildlife in each habitat. One of the biggest benefits of visiting Botswana and Zambia during this time of year is there are less crowds compared to other times of year, plus we have a greater chance of encountering more incredible wildlife congregating around the watering holes.
We have arranged impeccable accommodations in each stop of our trip, and have planned multiple day stays at each location. Our locations and number of nights are set as follow:
2026
Okavango River Delta
4 nights at a remote yet remarkable bush camp
Private charter flight to and from camp
AM/PM game drives each day through the world famous Okavango River Delta
Optional scenic helicopter ride for aerial photography
Optional traditional mocorro (wooden boat) tour
2 single rooms available at this location, 3 double suites
Chobe River
3 nights in a photography-focused lodge on the outskirts of Chobe National Park, equipped with a digital workroom for image reviews
AM/PM safari excursions into Chobe National Park
Underground hide for nighttime photography
River cruises in custom built photo boat with rotating chairs and built in gimbal mounts
Private accommodations available
Transfer Day to Lusaka, Zambia
100 KM private ground transfer from Botswana to Zambia through Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe included
Clients fly to Lusaka and overnight
Private accommodations available
South Luangwa National Park, Zambia
4 nights in a luxurious bush camp
Private charter flight to and from camp
Visits to the most densely populated region of leopards, called “Leopard Valley”
Optional nighttime game drives to view nocturnal species come to life in the “Land of the Living Night”
2 single rooms available at this location, 3 double suites