GAURANG PUROHIT, WILDLIFE PHOTOGRAPHY
Tuli Wilderness - the bar has been set high!
Julie and Stuart Quinn have devoted much over many years to transform this small part of south eastern Botswana into an enchanted safari destination - I have definitely fallen under the spell of Tuli Wilderness! The remote wilderness experience on offer competes with the best of them but at a fraction of the price.
Julie and Stuart have assembled a winning team comprised of amazing guides, talented chefs and friendly support staff who are proud to be part of the Tuli Wilderness family. Their camaraderie helped create a relaxed ambience at both camps (Mohave and Serolo). A special thank you to Gaby, Gilbert and Gladys at Mohave & Kennedy, Tips, Vicky and Mariam at Serolo!
Our group of eight people consisted of some first-time safari goers, some having an initial dabble in wildlife photography and some mobile phone shooters! With only three vehicles operating in a private concession of approximately 100 square kilometres, seeing other people on a game-drive was a rare sighting in Tuli Wilderness!
Here the animals behave naturally and are not always accustomed to the presence of a vehicle. This can be a challenge for photography but provides its own charm. This was off-set by the excellent guiding of Sakaeo and Jou. Their fantastic spotting and tracking skills were at times mesmerising but this was responsible guiding where the welfare of the animals was the top priority. Off-roading provided some amazing photographic opportunities but was always done conscientiously without encroaching into the ‘comfort zone’ of the animals.
For me, this trip was about spending time with friends and the photographic opportunities were a bonus. Every spare kilogram of my baggage allowance was used to pack stationary for donating to a local school, so I travelled light with just one camera and one lens (Canon EOS R7 + RF 100-500mm F4.5-7.1L IS USM) with all photography hand-held.