When?
June 14 - 22, 2025 (9 days, 8-nights)
October 18 - 26, 2025 (9 days, 8-nights)
Group size?
Maximum 8 guests
Costs?
The total price for the 9 day / 8 night trip is 7450€ per person.
50% deposit is required to secure your place. Final payment is due 60 days before departure. Payment plans are available, please contact us.
Where?
Zimbabwe:
Victoria Falls National Park
Panda Masuie Forest Reserve
Hwange National Park
What?
Photograph an abundance of wildlife, experience one of the largest elephant populations of Africa in Hwange National Park, and learn about elephant conservation in Zimbabwe with exclusive access through our conservation partner Wild is Life - Zimbabwe Elephant Nursery.
“Having journeyed extensively across the African continent, we discovered a profound reconnection with the natural world amidst the landscapes of Zimbabwe. The tranquility of Hwange stands in stark contrast to the lively cultural tapestry of Victoria Falls, creating an irresistible allure that beckons us back time and again, leaving us yearning for more with each visit.”
-Donal Boyd & Emma Romeijn
Trip Overview
Hwange National Park is one of the best places in the world to observe and photograph elephants, to experience the diverse landscapes of Zimbabwe and to learn and understand about the realities of wildlife conservation in Africa.
Your expedition begins in Victoria Falls, where we’ll meet for a welcome dinner, spend the first night, and where we’ll visit the spectacular waterfalls that gave the town its name.
Next, we’ll spend 2 nights in the Panda Masuie Forest Reserve with our conservation partner Wild is Life - Zimbabwe Elephant Nursery (ZEN). Through exclusive access, you'll have the opportunity to learn about the ZEN elephant conservation project and their approach to rescue, rehabilitate and release orphaned elephants back into the wild. There will also be ample opportunity for photography, let’s just say we have some surprises in store!
At their release site in Panda Masuie, which is off-limits to the public, you’ll be introduced to the conservation team, learn about the challenges and triumphs of elephant conservation in Zimbabwe, and gain a deeper understanding of wildlife conservation in the region.
Then, we’ll venture into the wilderness with a 5-night stay at The Hide Safari Camp in Hwange National Park. Renowned as one of the best places in the world to observe and photograph elephants, Hwange offers an unparalleled safari experience amidst its raw and untamed beauty.
Joining a small group of like-minded travelers, you'll forge connections that transcend borders and create memories that will last a lifetime. With a minimum of 6 and a maximum of 8 guests, this intimate journey promises to be a truly immersive and unforgettable experience in the heart of Africa.
Hwange National Park
Hwange National Park, Zimbabwe's largest game reserve, beckons visitors with its vast expanses of untamed wilderness and extraordinary biodiversity. Spanning over 14,000 square kilometers, this iconic park is a haven for wildlife enthusiasts, offering unparalleled opportunities to witness Africa's famed Big Five – lion, elephant, buffalo, leopard, and rhinoceros – in their natural habitat. Hwange's diverse landscapes range from open savannas to dense woodlands, providing a rich tapestry for unforgettable safari experiences. Beyond its charismatic megafauna, the park is home to over 400 bird species and countless other mammals, ensuring every moment spent here is filled with awe and wonder. With its rugged beauty, abundant wildlife, and timeless allure, Hwange National Park stands as a testament to the raw, untamed spirit of Africa.
During your time in Zimbabwe, you'll have the chance to:
Photograph the majestic elephants of Hwange, capturing their beauty and behavior in their natural habitat, both out on game drives and from the comforts of a unique underground hide located at the lodge.
Observe and photograph a large variety of African animals besides elephants, amongst which lion, zebra, wild dog, giraffe, wildebeest, buffalo, impala & cheetah.
Discover new perspectives and techniques in wildlife photography.
Learn the art of storytelling through photography, capturing the essence of Zimbabwe's wildlife and landscapes.
Immerse yourself in the sights and sounds of the African bush.
Gain a true understanding of conservation in Africa and peak behind the scenes through our partnership with Wild is Life - ZEN.
Gain a deeper understanding of conservation efforts in Hwange and the role of eco-tourism in protecting Zimbabwe's natural heritage.
Indulge in plant-based meals and the comforts of The Hide's luxurious accommodations.
Your Guides
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Filmmaker, photographer
Naudé Heunis is an award-winning filmmaker and photographer from Cape Town, South Africa. Specializing in wildlife, adventure, aerial and underwater, Naudé trained at film school as a director of photography before finding his calling when a sick friend asked him to fill in for a shoot with National Geographic.
Since then, he has built a name as one of the continent’s top wildlife filmmakers, with a fine skill and passion for bringing the stories of the voiceless to a world that desperately needs to hear them. His storytelling is driven by the philosophy that change begins with one person.
Naudé’s clients include NatGeo, the BBC, DJI, Audi, WWF, IFAW, Sennheiser, PolarPro, PADI and more.
Naude knows the folks at Wild is Life well, having filmed one of their elephant translocations a few years ago. He also has spent many hours in the bush at Hwange and countless more on safaris across Africa.
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Photographers, filmmakers and co-founder Atlas 1 Studio & Atlas 1 Expeditions
Hey there, Donal and Emma here!
Zimbabwe holds a special place in our hearts—it's like coming home to a place where time slows down, and life feels refreshingly authentic and unassuming.
There's something about Zimbabwe's laidback vibe, its genuine hospitality, and its unpretentious landscapes that just resonates with us—and we know it will with you too.
The wildlife encounters in Hwange are unlike anywhere else; raw and authentic, each moment a testament to the untamed beauty of the landscape.
What makes this trip truly exceptional is our exclusive opportunity to spend two days with our friends at Wild is Life, an experience close to my heart. Having connected with the passionate team behind this conservation project years ago, we've had the privilege of documenting their inspiring work. Our visit to their release site offers a rare behind-the-scenes glimpse into conservation efforts—an experience off limits to tourists.
Join us for a once-in-a-lifetime adventure as we delve into the heart of Zimbabwe's wildlife and conservation landscape.
Time of the year
June & October are both excellent times to embark on a safari in Zimbabwe, particularly within the majestic expanse of Hwange National Park. During the dry season the landscape transforms into a theatre of wildlife spectacle.
The parched vegetation draws an abundance of wildlife to the park's water sources, creating unparalleled opportunities for sightings. In Hwange, this translates into a mesmerizing parade of elephant herds, drawn together by the necessity of water, providing a breathtaking spectacle for visitors.
With its optimal blend of wildlife abundance, clear visibility, and favourable weather conditions, the dry season stands out as the prime time to experience the raw beauty and untamed splendour of Zimbabwe's wilderness.
Accommodation
Victoria Falls:
We’ll spend the first night Victoria Falls. Hotel information will be provided closer to departure, but you can expect a comfortable stay.
Wild is Life - ZEN:
Our friends have generously offered us to stay at their private house: a gorgeous bush home designed to keep cool and blend in with the surroundings. Because the project is not open to the public, there is no accommodation specifically set up for guests, but trust us when we say you will love staying at our friends’ home. We were blown away by their design aesthetic when we first saw their property. Common spaces include a spacious living room, outdoor living area and pool area.
Hwange National Park:
Nestled within the heart of Hwange National Park, The Hide Safari Camp stands as a beacon of luxury and wilderness immersion, offering a quintessential safari experience that transcends expectations. As one of Zimbabwe's premier safari lodges, The Hide exudes an aura of understated elegance, seamlessly blending into its natural surroundings while providing unrivaled comfort and hospitality.
Our group will stay at Tom’s Little Hide: a private lodge on the premises of the Hide, with our own common area and pool area. The common space is perfect for mid-day editing sessions in between game drives and it’s where we’ll be able to relax by our private pool and deck. Of course we also have access to all the main common areas of the lodge, so there’s choices.
Beyond its luxurious accommodations, The Hide boasts a team of experienced guides and trackers who will lead us on game drives and guided walks.
With its commitment to conservation and sustainable tourism practices, The Hide not only provides guests with unforgettable safari experiences but also plays a vital role in protecting Hwange's precious wildlife and habitats for future generations to enjoy.
Finally, we have specifically chosen The Hide due to its namesake feature: a unique underground hide in front of the watering hole from where we can observe and photograph the passing animals (mainly elephants) from ground-level and extremely closeby.
Sleeping arrangements
Victoria Falls:
Double/twin rooms allocated based on friends or couples sharing, or by gender for solo travellers. (Single rooms are subject to availability, and a supplement applies; please inquire for pricing details.)
Wild is Life - ZEN:
Double/twin rooms allocated based on friends or couples sharing, or by gender for solo travellers. (Single rooms not available.)
Hwange National Park:
Tom’s Little Hide has 3 twin/double bedrooms (with ensuite) and to accommodate our group we will also occupy 1 additional private luxury tent right beside Tom’s. Thus a total of 4 rooms for our group of 8 (excluding guides, who will stay in another private tent). Rooms are allocated based on friends or couples sharing, or by gender for solo travellers. (Single rooms are subject to availability, and a significant supplement applies; please inquire for pricing details.)
The bedrooms are each individually decorated and furnished with solid Zimbabwean teak furniture. All the rooms are mosquito-proofed and have fans for warmer days. You can tell at a glance that a lot of love and energy went into the creation of Tom’s. Tom’s Little Hide is delightful, designed to reflect a contemporary African style with surprising little distinctive touches.
“Consistently voted the “Best Tented Safari Camp” in Zimbabwe, you know your time at The Hide Safari Camp will be unforgettable..”
-The Hide
Who is this trip for?
This trip is open to anyone who wants to embark on the adventure of a lifetime, improve their photography skills, and to learn about conservation in Zimbabwe. The only photographic requirement is that you have a camera and you want to learn. You don't have to be a professional photographer and you don't need any real photography experience. You can come to learn from the start if you like and we'll be sure to spend the extra time with you to ensure you can enjoy each wildlife encounter, but also be able to capture incredible portraits with your camera as well.
For those of you who are looking to take your current skills to the next level, you'll find no better setting than out in the field here in Zimbabwe. We'll teach you our distinct methodology for creating aesthetic and artistic portraits of animals that tell a story and connect to important topics like conservation and protecting nature.
What’s the vibe?
You can expect the atmosphere to be a balance of light-hearted moments and outbursts of laughter mixed with intimate and often emotional connectivity with nature, shared and experienced with a group of like-minded people who you will soon call your friends.
Every photography workshop we've ever hosted has resulted in connections that go far beyond the time we spend together. I mean, hey, we all love animals and nature, so of course, we're going to get along.
What you can expect from the hosts
Personal attention is the key element of to our photography workshops.
This trip is about helping you to elevate your connection to nature and to hone your visual skills. For us, we do photographic workshops because we want to inspire our guests to look at the world in a different way and to encourage you to share your own vision for telling stories of nature through photography. We’re excited to be your coach out in the field.
As we photograph a subject, be it an elephant or any other animal, we’ll be practicing photography alongside you, sharing with you exactly how we’d approach the scenario. We'll be giving you personal attention and instruction based on the lenses you have, your specific cameras, and your skill level.
As instructors our style is very much participatory and curated for each individual student. We’ll be calling out to each individual in the group, offering composition advice, sharing how we approach the subject and scene as it develops, and giving very specific advice based on our years of experience explaining how we’d approach the photography.
There's no better way to learn than by doing, emulating our approach, and adapting it to your specific vision, which we aim to help you develop on this trip.
What you will learn
The best approaches for setting your camera and optimizing your workflow to capture wildlife portraits, animals in motion, and environmental portraits of animals.
We'll cover best practices for many different lighting scenarios and specifically how to get the most out of your camera in low light.
How to read animal behaviour and anticipate movements in order to create striking compositions across various landscapes and terrain.
How to see differently in order to capture unique compositions and portraits of subjects that truly help you connect with the essence of their character. This is especially important with large savannah animals, which you will experience firsthand.
Mastery of post-processing techniques for creating balance and consistency across your entire portfolio. Going beyond just editing, We'll go through our entire outlook on visual advocacy and the power of editing to bring out the character or any subject. We'll take a deep dive into the power of editing and we'll help you develop your own approach.
You'll learn how to experience nature through photography. An immersion into the bush.
Honestly, you'll learn many more skills than we could list, but the bottom line is the knowledge you gain on this trip will change your approach to photography forever.
If you're keen to spend quality time immersed in nature, improve your photo skills, and meet cool new friends…..
Conservation Partner
This trip is not only about photography of the wildlife - it's about understanding and giving back. Since 2018, Donal has partnered with Wild is Life/Zimbabwe Elephant Nursery to help promote their work on the ground in Zim. And since 2022, Atlas 1 Studio has continued to help support their media needs.
A key component of the photography workshop will be spending two days with our friends at ZEN learning about their conservation practices, community program, and orphaned elephant release project near Victoria Falls in Panda Masuie Forest Reserve.
Closed to the public, our visit to their project site is a truly unique, behind the scenes, experience.
During these two days at the start of the workshop, you'll cultivate a deeper respect for the bush, which will make the trip overall so much more meaningful.
Important: during your time at ZEN, you’ll be able to observe the elephants from a close distance, but Wild is Life adheres to a no-touch policy. ONLY the caretakers have hands-on contact with the elephants.
Watch a short film we made in 2022 about our friend Busi, one of the rangers at ZEN.
Investment
The total price for the 9 day / 8 night trip is 7450€ per person.
50% deposit is required to secure your place. Final payment is due 60 days before departure. Payment plans are available, please contact us.
Costs
Included
Pick up at the airport or your hotel on day 1.
All meals, drinks and accommodation for the duration of the workshop - 1 night in Victoria Falls, 2 nights at Wild is Life - ZEN and 5 nights at The Hide Safari Camp.
All transfers between locations.
Tips/donation Wild is Life - ZEN.
Conservation fees Hwange National Park.
Drop off at the airport or your hotel on the last day.
Excluded
Airfare to/from Victoria Falls airport (VFA).
Travel insurance (required, you must send us proof of insurance when you make your deposit).
Tips at The Hide (suggested €300).
General Schedule
Each day we'll adjust the schedule depending on wildlife opportunities that we become aware of, the weather, and the desires of the group to explore the landscape.
Our usual schedule will involve taking advantage of the early morning and late afternoon to photograph the wildlife in the best light. During the heat of the day, we’ll either spend time inside reviewing and editing our photos, sitting in the underground hide, or you’re free to relax by the pool, in your room etc.
Meals
Coffee/tea and light snacks are available prior to any excursions, breakfast will be served upon return of our morning activities. Lunch is flexible depending on movements, either packed or at camp. And dinner will always be in the evening, time dependent on when we return/set out.
All meals will be catered by the Wild is Life - ZEN & The Hide, serving healthy, fresh, plant-based food with the environment in mind. Honestly, it's some of the most fulfilling and wholesome food you'll ever eat. If you have any specific dietary requirements (gluten-free, nut allergy), do let us know.
Day-to-day itinerary
See below.
Day 1
Arrival to Victoria Falls
You should plan to arrive to Victoria Falls on day 1 of the trip or any day beforehand. We’re happy to suggest hotels if you plan to arrive the day before or earlier. If you arrive on day 1, please arrive before 5pm so you can join the welcome dinner. Victoria Falls is a 1 hour flight from Zimbabwe’s capital Harare. There are also direct flights from Nairobi, Addis Ababa, Windhoek, Cape Town and Johannesburg. Many people also visit Victoria Falls as part of an overland trip and it’s easy to combine with Namibia and/or Botswana.
The journey begins when we meet at our hotel accommodation on the first day in Victoria Falls. We'll get the chance to meet as a group, get together for dinner, and speak about our plan for the exciting days ahead! (Hotel details provided in pre-trip briefing.)
Day 2
The falls and transfer to Wild is Life
In the early morning, we’ll visit the iconic Victoria Falls, a true spectacle of nature. We’ll spend some time walking along the paths through the forest, stopping by different viewpoints. This is a great opportunity to get your camera set up and play around if you are a beginner.
Late morning we’ll transfer to the Zimbabwe Elephant Nursery; the release site of Wild is Life. We’ll settle into our accommodations before being welcomed for lunch. After lunch, our hosts will properly introduce themselves and give us an introduction into their operations. Afterwards, there’s time to explore the grounds and relax a little bit, get to know each other etc., and rest up for the days to come. Before sunset we’ll head into the national park to a spot frequented by large volumes of elephants. After we take our time to photograph them, we’ll have a braai in the bush and there’s an opportunity for astro-photography. We’ll return to the house upon bedtime.
Day 3
Full day at Wild is Life
We’ll join the caretakers and elephants for their early morning activities. We’ll get to spend some close up time with the elephants and learn more about their daily routine. After the elephants have gone out for the day, we’ll go out for a walking safari ourselves led by ZEN’s manager, who is also an experienced wildlife guide. Afterwards we’ll visit some of the community projects that Wild is Life runs. This will help us gain a deeper understanding of how people and animals are connected and teach us more about a holistic, integrated approach to conservation.
We’ll come back to the house for lunch and a short rest. In the afternoon we’ll be escorted to a platform/hide to greet the elephants are they come back to the nursery. This unique perspective allows for a very special photographic opportunity.
In the evening we’ll have another scrumptious dinner to round up our stay with Wild is Life.
Day 4
Transfer to Hwange/The Hide
After breakfast we’ll transfer to The Hide Safari Camp, in the heart of Hwange National Park. We’ll get there just in time for lunch and afterwards we’ll settle into our accommodations. We’ll have a little bit of time to relax before setting out on our first game drive. Upon return, dinner will be served.
Day 5 - 8
Full days at The Hide
Each day we’ll head out into the bush, mainly by car, but occasionally on foot. We’ll play it by ear depending on wildlife sightings, weather and the overall vibe of the group. We’ll either head out in both the morning in afternoon, or we’ll pack lunch and spend the whole day out. Daily editing lessons/sessions will be either between game drives of after dinner. There will be plenty of time also the relax by the pool or take a cheeky nap in your room.
Day 9
Last game drive and goodbye
We’ll head out for a final game drive before being transferred back to Victoria Falls. We’ll drop you at either the airport or your next hotel. Make sure not to book your flight out not too early, anytime 4pm onwards is fine.
Ready to join us on the trip of a lifetime?
FAQs
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This workshop is open to beginners, professionals, and everything in between. The only criteria are that you have a passion for photography and have the motivation to be on the go every day and night.
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We suggest bringing at minimum a DSLR/Mirrorless body (2 bodies would be best) and at least a 70-200mm telephoto lens, a wide-angle (i.e. 16-35mm or 24-70mm), extra batteries, and a tripod. If you have access to a super-telephoto lens, bring it for sure, but we’ll have the ability to get quite close to the wildlife and a 500mm definitely is NOT a requirement to capture amazing shots. Sigma & Tamron both make a great 150-500 (or similar) that is affordable. I've used them myself in the past for a few years.
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You will be travelling to Zimbabwe. It’s crucial that you check with your embassy in order to confirm if you need to apply for a visa ahead of time or if you are exempted.
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You may bring a drone, but opportunities may be limited due to this being a group trip.
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Yes. Charging points and electricity are available throughout our stay.
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There’s wifi at the reception area of the Hide for essential communication, but it’s not the most reliable, so we suggest switching off and enjoying a little internet detox.
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Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe.
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Dry and warm. Bring a sweater/jacket just in the case, the early mornings on the game drive vehicle can be chilly, but it warms up nicely during the day.
Any other questions? Feel free to contact us on info@atlas1expeditions.com.