In a few short weeks, you’ll be joining me on an African safari—and the experience is going to blow your mind. There are some things I’d like to relay to you that will make your experience better, and rather than spending time giving a lecture when we get there (hurry up, duChemin, I want to see the leopards!), I think giving it to you now will better allow you to prepare. Pour some coffee or a glass of wine; this will take a few minutes.

Please forgive the do-and-do-not tone of this. It’s just easier if we don’t beat around the bush.

Any questions, feel free to ask on the WhatsApp group.

If you’d prefer to read this off-line or have a copy of your own, you can download a PDF version here.

Sarara Camp, Kenya.

Comfort

  • Prepare for the cool. Most safari destinations can be quite cool in the mornings and evenings, and hot during the day. Please come prepared for that swing. Most mornings, clients start out in a puffy jacket, often with some light gloves and a warm hat, and end the day in their jackets as well.
  • Prepare for the sun. Most safari destinations are hot in the middle of the day, and your vehicle may provide little or no protection from the sun. The vehicles in Zambia, for example, are seldom covered at all, to provide better viewing with the leopards. Be sure to bring (and wear) a hat, sunscreen, and sunglasses. An SPF shirt with long sleeves is also be a good idea.
  • Fragrance-free. Please do not wear fragrances of any kind. Deodorant is fine, and I know some products have a scent, but please be mindful. The animals and your fellow travelers will thank you.
  • Ask. The camps work hard to be world-class but can’t account for every need or preference. If there is something that is amiss or something that would make your time more enjoyable, please ask. There’s no guarantee it can be accommodated, but if you don’t ask, we can’t try.
Maasi Mara, Kenya


Health & Safety

  • Dammit, Jim, I’m a photographer, not a doctor!” With apologies to Star Trek, I’m not the one to ask for medical advice. Please consult a travel doctor about any vaccines and malaria precautions.
  • Drink water. Please drink a lot of water. The lodges will be very clear with you about which water to drink and will usually be happy to fill your water bottle anytime you ask.
  • No smoking.
  • Tell us. If you’re experiencing anything that we can help with, please let us know. Some camps have medics on staff, but most camps have a network of nurses and doctors and we will get someone if you need it. And if all you need are some over-the-counter medications, we’ve probably got you covered if you just ask. Having said that, it’s best to bring your own supply of medications. A small kit with the usual suspects is most often all you will need, if anything.

Somalisa Camp, Zimbabwe
Somalisa, Zimbabwe
Nymatusi, Zimbabwe
Nymatusi, Zimbabwe

Camp Life

  • Passports ready. Many camps will ask for your passport when you arrive. Please have them ready.
  • Escorts at night. Most camps are not fenced and will insist you not move to and from your tent after sunset and before sunrise without an escort. They will tell you how these escorts are summoned, but do not under any circumstances mistake this as a suggestion.
  • Dietary needs. Camps should already know about your dietary needs if you have them, but don’t hesitate to clarify these with the chef on arrival.
  • Meal times. Please stay present and leave cell phones and devices in your pockets rather than disappearing into them. Please arrive on time, though feel free to skip a meal if you prefer.
  • Paying your bills. Some camps have gift shops and spas. Others charge for high-end alcohol. Any of these will result in an outstanding balance, so please pay these before the final morning at the camp. These transactions can take some time and can delay our departure.
  • Monkeys. Some camps have problems with monkeys. If it’s a concern, the camp staff will tell you, but please take it seriously. In general, keep a tidy tent, keep meds and small shiny things in your luggage, and if you’re told to lock your tent, please do so.
  • Schedule. Every camp has a slightly different schedule and we will be clear about specifics at each camp, but to give you a vague sense of what a day can look like, this is an bit of a snapshot:
    • 5:00am -Wake-up
    • 5:30am – Light breakfast and coffee
    • 6:00am- Game Drive
    • 10:00am – Return to camp
    • 11:00am – Brunch
    • 3:00pm – Tea + snacks
    • 4:00pm – Game Drive
    • 7:00pm – Return to camp
    • 7:30pm – Dinner

Game Drives

  • Be on time. If you’re not on time, we will give you five minutes and assume after that that you’ve chosen to sleep in or get a massage. We will not wait for you. I suggest being five minutes early to get into your seat and get settled; 10 is even better.
  • Stay in the truck. It’s absurd that I even need to say this, but please don’t get out of the vehicles without asking your guide / driver. No, you may not pet the kitty.
  • Be patient. Your drivers are excellent. Ask them what they see. But don’t hesitate to ask them if it’s possible to move the truck to a different angle, if your fellow photographers are OK with it. Drivers will respond to your requests to move forward etc, but please be considerate. If you ask the driver to move forward without asking others, you risk ruining someone else’s shot. Ask. Be considerate. Look out for one another. Don’t jostle around. Don’t make noise. Your energy matters to those around you and to the animals themselves.
  • Don’t move in. I’m happy to let you work things out as far as which vehicles you want to be in, though I prefer that you rotate. Please do not choose one seat and move in. I will ask you not to leave anything in the trucks after each game drive.
  • Riding with me. I will always have one seat in a vehicle with the head driver. I will be with that driver on every game drive to coordinate the movements of the rest of the group. I will invite a couple of you to join me on every game drive, ensuring everyone gets time with me and no one gets left out.
  • Fight for each other, not with each other. Experience tells me that when we all work together to help each other get the best shot, we all win. There will be times we need to share one side of the vehicle, get a little closer to each other for the shot, or even move around to accommodate the rare “one person at a time” scenario.

Maasi Mara, Kenya

Tipping

The camp staff work so hard to ensure you have the best possible experience. They rely on your gratitude, so please consider coming prepared for this. We can discuss the recommended amounts in the WhatsApp group, but here’s what you need to know ahead of time.

  • I usually bring clean, new USD in $20 bills. Most of Africa will not accept bills that are more than a few years old or overly worn.
  • Camps usually ask us to tip the house staff separately from drivers, guides, and spotters. I will leave you to tip the house staff on your own as there’s usually a tip box in the common area. Tips for drivers / guides are different. Because we all rotate between vehicles, I would ask you not to tip the driver directly as this can lead to inequities. I will instead collect your tips the night before we leave and evenly split them between the drivers. To ask you for these tips and remind you, I will usually call this your “paperwork,” as in “please make sure I have your paperwork before you go to bed tonight.”

Photography

  • Date and Time reminder. You might want to take a moment when you arrive to set your camera date and time if that’s important to you.
  • Batteries. Charge batteries when you can and be sure to have a couple spares when we head out. Camps will have power in the rooms unless I have told you otherwise.
  • Bells and whistles. Please turn them off. If you’re using a mirrorless camera, there’s no reason it should make any noise at all: no focus beeps, no electronic shutter sounds. DSLR users: there’s nothing you can do about your mirror and shutter sounds, but please disable all others.
  • Move slowly. When shooting in vehicles, please move slowly and keep the movements to a minimum. The photographers sharing your vehicle and shooting with long lenses will be grateful.
  • Be ready. Try to be ready to photograph at all times. Seeing a lion is not the time to open your bag, change lenses, and fuss with settings. It will happen, but try to anticipate these changes as best you can.
  • Don’t touch. Please do not pick up or move anyone else’s stuff with out asking. The camera bag that looks closed might not be and there is nothing more sickening than hearing lenses and cameras hitting the ground.
  • Be patient. Wildlife photography is a waiting game. Stay in the moment. Look around. Not only can a sighting can become a scene very quickly, but often the shot is not where you think it is. Waiting it out allows one of two things to happen: either the scene will change, or your perception of it will.

Packing

We can discuss this all you like in the WhatsApp group, but this article about gear and packing might be helpful to you https://davidduchemin.com/2025/01/packing-for-an-african-safari/.

Weight Limits. You have been given a weight limit. All your luggage, including hand carry/carry-on pieces must fit into this limit.

All luggage must be soft-sided. No suitcases, no hard rollers.

Earth Tones, Please. If you’re packing for Zambia and Zimbabwe, earth-toned clothing is required. Elsewhere, like Kenya it is recommended. Black attracts tse-tse flies, and bright white or bright colours can startle animals. Because of the possibility of walking and on-the-ground encounters, guides will require you to wear clothing that blends in. There’s a reason khaki is so popular on safari.

Lastly

  • If there is anything that would make you happier while we’re there, please let me know. Don’t wait until the end to talk to me about a problem with your tent or an issue you’re having. I want you to have a fantastic trip, so the sooner we deal with problems, the better.
  • I’m deaf in my right ear, which leads to all kinds of problems if you don’t know that and you’re talking away to me at the dinner table or on a game drive. Please just make sure I know you’re talking to me.
  • Lastly—though arguably most importantly—please be kind to each other. Please be considerate of the fact that we came on safari to be present here and to fill up our souls. A reminder: no talking politics, current events, or religion, and no cell phones at the table unless you’re showing someone a picture or something.

We are going to have a fantastic trip and the point of this orientation page is to make sure we’re all on the same page in hopes of making this an extraordinary time together.

I can’t wait to see you there!