Common Information for your Journey

Why should you book our Photo Tours?

Our photo tour is tailored to the specific needs of photographers, which means:

• We travel cautiously and deliberately to give you the time you need for your photos.
• Small groups of 4 - 10 participants guarantee the best perspectives, such as intensive photographic instruction.
• The photo motifs were selected by our photographer with decades of professional experience in the project region.
• In all questions of everyday life, you will be advised by a Botswana tour guide with appropriate cultural background knowledge.
• Picture discussions are held with like-minded people in the evening, in which during the stay in Pangolin Hotel the option of editing with Adobe Lightroom can be offered.

Why should you book our Study Tours?

Our study tours are geared towards conveying historical, regional, political and cultural knowledge about Botswana and Southern Africa, which means:

• The focus is on authentic encounters between people coming from different cultures, with the aim of working towards mutual understanding under the conditions of post-colonial structures.
• After registration, the participant will receive the necessary general information on the organization and the program schedule, as well as a list of literature, which is designed as a preparation for the individual topics of the study tour.
• If the participants are interested, an online meeting with the tour guide will take place approx. 4 weeks later after the study trip is completed.
• When selecting the tour guide for our study trips in Botswana, Authentic Encounters - Photo & Study Tours attach great importance not only to proven professional competence, but also to cultural sensitivity, which is crucial for encounters with people of different origins.

Why should you book our Street- and People Workshops?

Even if we cannot teach the passion for Street & people Photography, but this means:

• Once the basics of photography have been laid by us, our workshop can clarify or accelerate this process.
• Take part in our Street & People Photography as a spiritual process because this form is equivalent to photographic enlightenment.
  Street photography cannot be planned: this aspect gives it a true authenticity.
• We encourage you to approach people in the right way. Then it's up to you to break the ice and get them to cooperate with your photographic ambitions.
• The room in which a person lives or works, their house, the city street they walk, the place in which they seek relaxation—whatever it is: we advise you to put these settings in the right place.

Why should you book our Women Tours?

This Tour aims to inspire women to broaden their knowledge of diversity from the female worlds in Botswana, and that means:

• You will meet outstanding personalities from different women, associated with the economy, politics, crafts, or trade, such as professional associations, schools, universities or trade unions and companies.
• Through personal encounters, our female travelers learn authentically a lot about the perspectives, hopes, desires and aims of women in Botswana and immerse themselves in their different life worlds.
• Of course, historical, political and cultural background information on Botswana and Southern Africa is also conveyed on this women's tour.

Why should you book our Mobile Tent Safari?

During our mobile tent safari you experience nature directly and every second, that means:

• You enjoy undisturbed moments in pure wilderness and seclusion.
• You will gain unforgettable experiences and impressions and will be amazed by the biodiversity of the flora and fauna of your safari region.
• Through our local tour guide you will learn a lot about the behavior of the wild animals and go in search of tracks.
• Spend the evenings by the atmospheric campfire, listening to the sounds of nature and looking at the endless starry sky.
• A cook will spoil you with home-made regional dishes throughout the safari.
• This tent safari promises excitement and adventure, but also relaxation and great pleasure.

What to pack?

As a general guide, comfortable and casual clothing that you can wash and wear is recommended while on safari. Muted colors are best for game viewing. Game drives are generally conducted in the early morning and the late afternoon, which can be cold, especially in winter. The temperature often warms up during the day, so it is best to dress in layers.
The most practical items to pack for your Botswana Safari:

Clothes in khaki, green, beige and neutral colors
Long-sleeved shirts that offer protection from the sun and mosquitoes
T-shirts
Shorts or a light skirt
Jeans or safari trousers for evenings and cooler days
Jackets and sweaters for early morning and late afternoon game drives
A lightweight waterproof jacket in case of rain
Swim and beachwear
Comfortable walking shoes
Sunscreen, sunglasses, a hat, insect repellent, moisturiser and lip salve
Binoculars and camera equipment
Light power bank completely fully charged

Travel documents

Please inquire about the applicable visa requirements well in advance of your entry into Botswana. We strongly recommend that you take out a travel cancellation insurance. For one parent travelling alone with children should alway have a signed  affidavit from the other parent and a  copy of child birth certificate (all certified from country of origin).

Luggage Allowance on Fly-In Safaris

Note that there is normally a weight limit of 20kg (including hand luggage and photo equipment) for flights in small aircraft. Please bear this in mind when packing, but most lodges and camps provide a same-day laundry service for your clothes. However, especially for our Photo Tour 1 with Steven or Daniel, we rented an additional seat for the charter flights to the Okavango Delta and Kasane. This allows our guests to take an additional 10 kg in addition to the usual 20 kg of luggage, but keep in mind that there could be some extra costs. For our Tour 2 that start and end in Maun, there is a save opportunity to leave some of your luggage at Thamalakane River Lodge during your safari. For Tour 3 with Joe, additional luggage will be transported by car.
Luggage may only be taken in soft sports bags / duffel bags. Avoid hard-shell suitcases.

General Health Care

Vaccinations are not required to enter Botswana. Unless you're from a country with yellow fever, such as Zambia. Since Botswana is a malaria area in its Northern regions and especially in the rainy season, we recommend that you consult your family doctor or a tropical institute in advance of your tour for possible prophylaxis.
Please, be informed that an International travel health is compulsory for guests booking with Authentic Encounter-Photo and Study Tours, see our TERMS and CONDITIONS.

Medical Emergencies

When you visit the Okavango Delta, you will enter approximately 20,000 square kilometers of pristine wilderness with the largest remaining concentration of wildlife in Africa. To be able to fly our tourists to the nearest hospital in the event of a medical emergency, we have included Okavango Air Rescue as a partner in our safari program: a medical helicopter rescue service that Authentic Botswana Tours operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Their experienced bush pilots fly to any region of the country, no matter how remote. In case of an emergency, Authentic Botswana Tours already entails an insurance policy with Okavango Air Rescue for each participant on our safaris.

Check out this video of Okavango Air Rescue an.

Covid 19 Information

The current Covid situation in Botswana may be reviewed on the official Government page:
https://www.moh.gov.bw/coronavirus.html