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South Africa
November 9-19 2025
Welcome to a journey of discovery in the heart of South Africa! From the wild savannas of Kruger National Park to the dramatic coastal landscapes of Cape Town, this expedition offers an unforgettable blend of wildlife, culture, and natural beauty. Together, we’ll explore iconic locations, capturing the essence of South Africa through the lens.
At Gaia, we believe photography is about more than just pictures—it's about stories, connections, and the thrill of experiencing nature at its best. Whether you’re photographing a lion stalking the grasslands or the vibrant streets of Cape Town, this expedition is designed to take your photography to new heights. Highlights:
KRUGER PARK: Seeing the "Big Five" in the wild is one of the most memorable things one can ever experience. The African continent is the only place in the world where big game still roams freely in great numbers. We will stay in a camp exclusive to our group. Each guest will have an end seat on open game viewers to maximize photographic opportunities
RHINO SANCTUARY: Spend 3 days volunteering at a Wild Rhino Sanctuary that rescues orphaned black and white rhinos whose numbers continue to decline due to poaching. The Wild Rhino Sanctuary is closed to the public.
CAPE TOWN: Spend 4 days in the ultimate landscape paradise - Cape Town! Home to Table Mountain, one of the 7 natural wonders of the world, beautiful beaches, stunning biodiversity, and the African Penguin.
The trip
Our trip will be 100% focused on photography. Everyone is welcome, regardless of photography level, age, equipment or physical condition. Non-photographers are also welcome!
Some days will be more relaxed than others - won't do any big walks, but we wake up practically every day for the sunrise and photograph until dark and some days the road will be long.
In this expedition, we intend to pass on to participants all our photographic knowledge, from animal behaviour to planning a photo and final editing, tips on the market, prints, working with brands and much more. There will be 10 days of photographic experiences in different landscape and light conditions, in addition to part of our time being devoted to theory and post-editing. The group will be relatively small - between 10 and 12 people and most journeys and tours will be made in 3 private cars and accommodation in double or triple rooms, depending on the group's disposition.
Itinerary
09/11 - Meet the group at KMI Airport.
Hello & Welcome!
Meet the Gaia Expeditions Team at KMI Airport in Mpumalanga. We aim to depart at noon so if you are unable to arrive before this time we recommend you fly in a day earlier and overnight at an airport hotel which we can arrange for you. We will load up the vehicles and travel as a group to The Kruger National Park home to Africa’s iconic Big 5; Elephant, Lion, Buffalo, Rhino, and Leopard. The park covers an area of 2 million hectares of African wilderness and has a greater variety of wildlife than any other African national park, earning it the classification as one of the world’s super parks. Starting our photographic safari as soon as we enter the park gates, enjoying a 2-hour game drive in an open game drive vehicle. We will have two open-game vehicles with each guest enjoying an end seat, the perfect position to catch your shot! On arrival at camp, we settle in and relax around the campfire under the African night sky. Tonight we will get to fall asleep under the stars to the sounds of roaring lions, snorting hippos, and the soft croaking of frogs in the river.
Accommodation: Lower Sabie Camping
Meals Included: Dinner
10 and 11/11 - Kruger National Park
This safari is all about wildlife and outdoor adventure, so we'll experience a guided adventure in open safari vehicles, where we will get up close and personal with the park's residents. Our professional and passionate Kruger guides will explain and interpret what is going on in the natural environment around us as we travel along the tracks.
Our morning will start with tea, coffee, and rusks in camp, before heading out on an early morning photographic safari. Avid bush enthusiasts love the Kruger in spring as water is scarce and animals tend to spend more time around watering holes giving us the chance for some incredible sightings and photographic opportunities.
The park has approximately 147 species of mammals, 500 species of birds, and 114 species of reptiles, so there are plenty of opportunities to experience wildlife in their natural habitat. In addition to the Big 5, cheetah, hyena, wild dog, giraffe, large herds of zebra and wildebeest, and an impressive variety of antelope are among our usual sightings. After lunch at a remote picnic site, we will head back to camp for some R&R before heading out on an exclusive night drive.
Accommodation: Lower Sabie Camping
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Day 12/09 - Rhino Sanctuary
After an early morning drive and breakfast, we will load up the vehicles and travel as a group to a Rhino Sanctuary in the heart of the Mpumalanga to meet Rhino Rehabilitator Petronel Nieuwoudt. Petronel founded Care For The Wild in 2001 due to the drastic increase in the number of rhino poaching incidents within South Africa, resulting in orphan rhinos needing a specialized sanctuary that would rehabilitate and eventually, release them back into the wild.
Care for Wild is also home to many different animal and plant species. The reserve, together with surrounding areas, is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Barberton Makhonjwa Mountains contain the best-preserved, oldest, and most diverse sequence of known volcanic and sedimentary rocks on Earth. Our home for the night at Care for Wild is in shared cabins. Each room is equipped with comfortable beds, en-suite bathrooms, and electrical outlets.
Accommodation: Care for Wild Volunteer Village
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Day 13 and 14/09- Rhino Sanctuary
After breakfast, we join Petronel and her team for the full day to get a true understanding of the effects of the rhino poaching crisis in Africa. We will learn about the rescue and rehabilitation of orphaned calves, and the rewilding and release processes.
We will also meet their K9 Unit and hear about their ongoing monitoring, protection and conservation of the rhino species and their ecosystem and are fortunate to get a behind-the-scenes look into the daily running of the rhino sanctuary and how it evolves as the needs and requirements change.
The sanctuary runs a structured and timetabled programme that is designed to meet the needs of the rhinos under their care, however, as they are a Rhino Sanctuary on call 24/7 the programme may be altered at any given time.
Care for Wild Rhino Sanctuary operates a ‘hands-off’ approach to caregiving. Their sole purpose is to rescue, rehabilitate and re-wild rhinos so that they can be released successfully back into their natural ecosystems.
We will assist in milk preparation, bottle feeding and boma care, participating in behavioural observations and gaining completely new insights into the world of rhino care, rehabilitation and conservation. We will be able to take photos and videos to document our experience.
Accommodation: Care for Wild Volunteer Village
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Photo Courtesy of Care for Wild
Day 15/09 - Cape Town
Up early and out to enjoy a final morning at the Rhino Sanctuary. After a hearty breakfast, we will bid farewell to the Rhinos and the amazing team at Care For Wild and shuttle to the airport to fly to Cape Town. After a short 3-hour flight we will land in Cape Town. On arrival, we will take a private transfer to our accommodation in Cape Town.
(This internal flight is included in the cost of the trip)
After settling into our accommodation we will venture to Camps Bay, nestled between Table Mountain and the Atlantic Ocean Bay. We will immerse ourselves in the stunning scenery and lounge on the wide white beach, regarded as one of Cape Town's top spots to catch a mesmerizing sunset.
In the evening celebrate with a welcome dinner.
Meals Included: Breakfast
Day 16/09 - Cape Town
Penguins!
Today we explore the spectacular Cape Peninsula and take sunset pics on Chapmans Peak.
Spend time at Boulders Beach in Simon’s Town, home to the African Penguin. Pristine white sands and calm turquoise waters hemmed in by gigantic granite boulders. Boulders Beach is one of the Cape Peninsula’s most magnificent beaches and is protected as part of the Table Mountain National Park.
We will spend time on the beach, boardwalk, and boulders capturing African Penguins. The South Peninsula is also home to one of the world’s most spectacular passes, Chapman’s Peak Drive.
We will venture on Chapmans Peak catching some sunset shots before heading to a local brewery for dinner.
Day 17/09 - Cape Town
After a relaxing morning editing, around lunchtime we will head to The Kogelberg range of mountains along the False Bay coast in the Western Cape of South Africa.
They form part of the Cape Fold Belt, starting south of the Elgin Valley. The Kogelberg area has the steepest and highest drop directly into the ocean of any southern African coastal stretch and is one the world's greatest and possibly the most biodiversity hot spots in the world. We’ll organize a sunset photoshoot in this beautiful place.
Day 18/09 - Cape Town
Sunrise Hike & Free Afternoon
Up early to climb the most iconic landmark of South Africa, Table Mountain at sunrise.
Towering tall at over a thousand meters over Cape Town, Table Mountain is a playground for nature lovers and adventure seekers. On reaching the top of the mountain, we will take in the amazing panoramic views across this fantastic city and beyond. We'll spend time exploring the mountain top and enjoy a light snack with refreshments before we catch the cable car back down.
Free afternoon to explore the city, Bo Kaap, shop at the V&A, go to Robben Island, the choice is yours!
Day 14/03 - Farewell!
After breakfast, we'll bid farewell to the breathtaking landscapes of Cape Town.
Transfer to Cape Town International Airport where home or your next destination awaits.
Ensure your flights are scheduled for 2 pm or later, allowing you ample time to relish the final moments of this unforgettable experience.
Meals Included: Breakfast
Photographic equipment
We want to make it clear that there is no such thing as mandatory equipment - what you have is enough! That said, here is a list of equipment and accessories that, if you have them, will provide a better photographic experience. Remember that, on trips of this type, we can always share material and equipment so that we all have an incredible experience! Feel free to contact us beforehand to ask for help when packing/getting equipment.
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Camera (DSLR/Mirrorless); Two bodies will provide the best safari experience.
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Lenses: For game drives, telephotos will perform the best. A 400mm is already a great range but, when talking about wildlife, the more the better. We recommend having at least a 100-400 or similar. For the rest of the trip, regular mid-range lenses like 24-70 are great.
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Tripod - indispensable for night photo shoots;
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Monopod - for keeping the camera steady inside the safari vehicles (totally optional and personal, works great for video)
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Extra batteries;
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Memory cards;
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Cables and chargers;
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Polarizer/ND filter;
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HD or SSD for storage;
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Laptop (preferably with Lightroom and Photoshop installed);
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Drone (not allowed in many places, but worth bringing);
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External battery;
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Comfortbale camera bag;
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Etc!
Investment
The price of the trip is USD 3650 per person. A deposit of USD 650 is required to guaranteed your spot, and the remaining balance can be payed in installments.
What's included:
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Airport transfers - Airport pick up & drop off (if arriving within stated dates/times)
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Domestic Flight - Internal flight to Cape Town during itinerary
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Accommodation - On twin share basis
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All transport to excursions
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All meals as outlined in the itinerary
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All game drives as outlined in the itinerary
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All park admissions and entrance fees
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Guiding/host during trip
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Pre-departure support
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On-site support
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24hr on-site support from our team
What is not included:
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International airline tickets or other tickets before/after the trip.
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Travel insurance
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Photographic equipment insurance
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Any extra trips, visits or activities NOT outlined in the itinerary
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Any extra nights if you're staying on after the itinerary
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Any extra food, meals or snacks NOT outlined in the itinerary
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Extra drinks & beverages NOT outlined in the itinerary
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Personal spending money & money for tips
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Visa