Emerald Odyssey Photographic Safari
Liuwa Plain | Victoria Falls | Hwange National Park
Join wildlife photographers and experienced guides Michael Davy and Nick Riddin
for an unforgettable photographic journey through some of southern Africa’s
most spectacular wilderness areas.
Capture dramatic storm skies, migrating wildlife, and intimate moments in the
field during Africa’s vibrant Emerald Season.
Introduction from your hosts
When people ask us where some of the most exciting photographic opportunities in Africa can be found, the answers are not always the places that first come to mind. While destinations like the Masai Mara or Serengeti are rightly celebrated, some of the continent’s most rewarding photographic experiences lie in the quieter, less-travelled corners of Africa.
This safari has been carefully designed around three such places — Liuwa Plain, Victoria Falls and Hwange National Park — each offering something very different photographically, yet together creating a journey through some of southern Africa’s most beautiful and diverse landscapes.
For Michael, who was born in Zimbabwe and has spent more than a decade guiding and photographing wildlife across Africa and beyond, Zambia has long been one of the continent’s most special wilderness destinations. Now based in South Luangwa National Park at Sungani, he spends much of his life in the field observing and photographing wildlife, learning the rhythms of the bush and the subtle moments that make great wildlife images possible.
Nick, originally from South Africa, has also spent more than a decade working as a professional guide and wildlife photographer. His work has taken him across Africa and into the world of wildlife filmmaking, including collaborations with the BBC on the acclaimed series Kingdoms. His experience behind the camera and deep understanding of wildlife behaviour bring a unique perspective to photographic safaris.
Between them, Michael and Nick have spent years exploring and photographing the destinations featured on this journey. This safari is not simply a collection of locations, but a carefully curated route based on first-hand experience of where and when extraordinary photographic opportunities unfold.
One of the reasons we have chosen this particular time of year is the arrival of Africa’s Emerald Season. As the first rains begin to fall, the landscape transforms. The plains turn vibrant green, wildlife activity increases, and towering thunderheads build across the horizon creating dramatic skies that can elevate a photograph from good to unforgettable.
For photographers this season offers an extraordinary variety of subjects. Vast landscapes under storm skies, wildlife moving across open plains, intimate animal behaviour, and even opportunities for macro photography as insects and smaller creatures emerge with the rains.
Perhaps most importantly, this time of year offers something increasingly rare in Africa — space and tranquillity. With fewer vehicles in the field, we are able to spend time observing wildlife and working photographic scenes without the pressure that often comes with peak safari seasons.
Our goal for this safari is simple: to place you in the best possible environments, at the best times of day, with the guidance and experience needed to help you capture images that truly reflect the magic of the African wilderness.
For those who love photography and wild places, this journey offers a rare opportunity to experience Africa not just as a visitor, but as a storyteller with a camera.
Emerald Odyssey
Inclusions
Hosted by Michael Davy and Nick Riddin, this journey includes accommodation throughout at Ciêla (Lusaka), King Lewanika (Liuwa Plain), Mukwa River Lodge (Livingstone) and Somalisa Camp (Hwange), offering a seamless blend of comfort and exceptional photographic access.
All internal charter flights, airport meet and assist, and inter-camp transfers are included. The safari is fully inclusive of accommodation, all meals, laundry, guided game-viewing activities, National Park fees and conservation levies, as well as local drinks and house wines.
Exclusions
Visa fees, premium brand drinks and champagne, and gratuities or items of a personal nature are not included.
Booking Terms
A 30% deposit confirms your booking on the Emerald Odyssey photo safari. Please note that the quoted cost is based on 8 photographers sharing. Should the group size vary, the cost will be adjusted accordingly.
Emerald Odyssey Journey Details
Liuwa, Victoria Falls & Hwange Photographic Safari
27 November – Arrival in Lusaka
Guests arrive in Lusaka where they are welcomed by Michael and transferred to Ciêla Resort, one of Zambia’s most stylish boutique hotels. Set amongst gardens, art and contemporary African design, the hotel offers a calm and elegant place to unwind after international travel. In the evening the group gathers for a welcome dinner and introduction to the journey ahead.
Accommodation: Ciêla Resort
28 November – Journey to Liuwa Plain National Park
After breakfast, the group departs Lusaka on a charter flight with Corporate Air to Kalabo in western Zambia. A short transfer then takes you into the remote wilderness of Liuwa Plain National Park. The group arrives at King Lewanika Lodge by Ker & Downey, the only permanent camp within the park and a luxurious base for the coming days.
Accommodation: King Lewanika Lodge by Ker & Downey
28 November – 2 December – Liuwa Plain National Park (4 Nights)
The group will stay at King Lewanika Lodge by Ker & Downey, an intimate and luxurious camp set in the heart of one of Africa’s last great wilderness areas.
Liuwa Plain is one of Africa’s last great wilderness areas. Vast grasslands stretch to the horizon beneath immense skies, creating a dramatic setting for wildlife photography. During the Emerald Season the plains come alive as early rains transform the landscape into vibrant green, with towering storm clouds rolling across the horizon.
Photographic opportunities include expansive landscapes, migrating wildebeest, predator interactions, minimalist compositions and abundant birdlife. Game drives are timed around the best light, while King Lewanika Lodge offers a luxurious retreat overlooking the plains after each day in the field.
2 December – Transfer to Victoria Falls
The group departs Liuwa Plain, flying from Kalabo to Livingstone before continuing onward to Victoria Falls. This routing avoids long border crossings and provides a seamless transition to the next stage of the safari.
2–4 December – Victoria Falls (2 Nights)
The group will stay at Mukwa River Lodge by The Residence Collection, a refined and contemporary lodge set on the banks of the Zambezi River.
Known locally as Mosi-oa-Tunya, “The Smoke that Thunders,” Victoria Falls is one of the world’s most spectacular natural wonders. The Zambezi River plunges into a deep gorge, sending vast clouds of mist into the air and creating incredible photographic conditions. Photographic highlights include dramatic waterfall scenes, rainbows in the spray, long-exposure water photography and atmospheric rainforest imagery.
Combining modern design with a strong sense of place, the lodge provides a tranquil riverside setting, exceptional comfort, and easy access to both the falls and surrounding photographic opportunities.
Accommodation: Mukwa River Lodge by The Residence Collection
4 December – Charter to Hwange National Park
After breakfast, the group transfers by private charter flight to Hwange National Park in Zimbabwe, marking the final stage of the safari.
Accommodation: Somalisa Camp by African Bush Camps
4–8 December – Hwange National Park (4 Nights)
The group will stay at Somalisa Camp by African Bush Camps, an elegant and immersive camp set in one of Zimbabwe’s most celebrated wildlife destinations.
Hwange is renowned for its large elephant herds and rich predator populations. During the Emerald Season the park becomes lush and vibrant, with dramatic skies adding to the photographic atmosphere. Photographic opportunities include close encounters with elephants, predator sightings, intimate wildlife portraits and classic golden-hour safari scenes. Somalisa Camp offers an elegant and immersive setting to conclude the journey.
9 December – Departure
Guests depart Hwange by flight back to Victoria Falls Airport, connecting onward to international flights home. The journey concludes with unforgettable memories, a deeper connection to the wild, and a portfolio of powerful photographic moments.
Luiwa Plains
Liuwa Plain National Park
Remote, wild and almost untouched, Liuwa Plain is one of Africa’s last true wildernesses. Vast grasslands stretch endlessly to the horizon beneath towering skies, creating a landscape that feels both ancient and elemental.
During the Emerald Season the plains come alive with fresh green growth and dramatic thunderstorm build-ups that roll across the open landscape. For photographers, this combination of powerful skies, sweeping horizons and roaming wildlife offers extraordinary opportunities for atmospheric imagery.
Liuwa is home to Africa’s second largest wildebeest migration as well as impressive numbers of predators including lions, cheetah and one of the continent’s largest clans of spotted hyena. The open terrain allows for beautiful minimalist compositions, dramatic wildlife silhouettes and breathtaking landscape photography unlike anywhere else in Africa.
Victoria Falls
Victoria Falls – Mosi-oa-Tunya
Known locally as “The Smoke that Thunders,” Victoria Falls is one of the most spectacular natural wonders on earth.
Here the mighty Zambezi River plunges more than one hundred metres into a deep basalt gorge, sending towering clouds of mist high into the sky and creating rainbows that drift through the surrounding rainforest.
For photographers, Victoria Falls offers dramatic landscape opportunities with powerful moving water, shifting light and atmospheric spray. From wide sweeping vistas to intimate rainforest scenes, the falls provide a striking contrast to the open wilderness of the safari parks and an unforgettable photographic experience.
Hwange
Hwange National Park
Hwange is one of Africa’s great wildlife destinations and is renowned for its enormous elephant herds that move through the park’s forests and open grasslands.
During the Emerald Season the landscape transforms as the first rains bring fresh green vegetation and dramatic skies that create beautiful photographic light. Wildlife becomes particularly active during this time, with predators, birds and smaller species emerging as the ecosystem responds to the rains.
Hwange’s famous waterholes offer remarkable opportunities for intimate wildlife encounters, where elephants, buffalo and other animals gather to drink. For photographers, this setting provides incredible chances to capture powerful wildlife portraits and dynamic behavioural moments in one of Africa’s most iconic wilderness areas.
Photographic Possibilities
Why This Photographic Safari Is Unique
A truly great photographic safari is about far more than simply visiting beautiful places. It is about being in the right location at the right time, with the experience and guidance needed to anticipate those fleeting moments when light, wildlife and landscape come together.
This journey has been carefully designed around exactly those principles.
By combining the vast wilderness of Liuwa Plain, the dramatic landscapes of Victoria Falls and the wildlife-rich environments of Hwange National Park, this itinerary offers an extraordinary variety of photographic opportunities. From expansive storm-lit plains and migrating wildlife to intimate wildlife encounters and powerful landscapes, each destination brings a different creative dimension to the journey.
Throughout the safari you will be guided in the field by Michael Davy and Nick Riddin, both professional wildlife photographers and experienced guides who have spent many years working and photographing across these regions. Their knowledge of wildlife behaviour, light and composition helps place you in the best possible position when those rare moments unfold.
With a small group of just eight guests, the experience remains personal and flexible, allowing time to work a scene, refine compositions and wait patiently for the perfect moment rather than rushing from sighting to sighting.
For photographers, this is what truly makes the difference.
Whether you are looking to refine your craft, build a powerful portfolio, or simply experience some of Africa’s most remarkable wilderness areas through your lens, this expedition offers a rare opportunity to immerse yourself in the rhythm of the wild and create images that will stay with you for a lifetime.