Photography Experiences & Tours - Overseas & UK

Richard

“Although my wife had been on a photographic workshop in Devon, Ranthambore was our first joint trip with Janette. Seeing tigers in the wild had been on our bucket list for a long time.”

Other Safari experiences have taught me that where wild and elusive animals are concerned there can be no guarantees but Janette’s web-site held out hope that we wouldn’t be disappointed. Ultimately, however, the trip far exceeded my expectations in terms of both the number and the quality of the animal sightings.

Staying at the Ranthambore Regency Hotel you will discover that there are other companies who offer a very similar holiday i.e. early morning and afternoon drives in a small open-topped jeep from a comfortable but not luxurious base. What sets Janette’s trip apart is that she has secured the services of an outstanding guide, Ashlesh, and an equally accomplished driver, Sajid. Time after time we found ourselves hurtling along rough tracks to reach a tiger sighting before any other vehicle. Occasionally arriving after the rush, mysteriously they always seemed to have the authority to push through the crush to get the best viewing point possible. Local knowledge like this is priceless: on one occasion we left a crush of vehicles jostling for position on a narrow track, trying to catch sight of a female tiger and her three cubs walking through woodlands. We drove to the top of a cliff nearby where 15 minutes’ later we were the only ones able to have the perfect view from overhead.

This is a holiday mainly devoted to tiger-viewing but anyone with wider interests is not forgotten. Other large mammals had been very scarce in recent weeks but we had a good sighting of a leopard on our first drive and then, towards the end of the week, an extended sighting of a female sloth bear and cubs followed the next day by one of a lone male. Throughout the week, whenever there was a quiet moment Ash pointed out indigenous birds and I recorded 67 new to me. For the record, we saw 16 different tigers on 22 separate occasions, including all bar two of our 11 drives, with 10 alone on one half day drive. A week full of amazing and unique experiences: we will never forget it.

Sarah M-G

“Our trip to Uganda with Janette & Peter Hogel was a real adventure that I would highly recommend!”

Lots of driving on unmade roads gave the opportunity to observe the ‘real’ Uganda. The sightings on the game drives in Queen Elizabeth park were superb – tracking the lion prides & being informed on the families, spotting a leopard camouflaged in a tree, watching the elephants walking down to the river, seeing hippos out of the water grazing during the day, being surrounded by warthogs & marabou storks whilst eating breakfast, observing the birds & wildlife from a boat & a bush dinner were just some of the highlights in this park.

Next stop was Bwindi forest, staying in a tent with an outdoor shower room! The short 45 minute trek to see the gorilla family certainly lived up to expectations – an hour standing about 10 feet away watching the family interact together, in between the females & youngsters with the silverback sleeping up on a ridge just above us. Also an opportunity to walk into the local village to understand how the local people live & their enthusiasm for protecting the gorillas & the tourism that enables them to support their families.

Final stop Lake Mburo with tented accommodation high on a ridge overlooking the park & the local villages – awesome views. Sightings of giraffe, zebra, numerous antelope species & a honey badger.

Whilst the trip was not for the faint hearted – lots of driving, lots of bumpy unmade roads, basic accommodation (although always clean & well presented) & basic food – the beer is good – the experience was brilliant. I would recommend travelling with Natural Wonders to really ‘get under the skin’ of Uganda.

Ray B

“Having never been to North Wales the scenery surround the Mawddach estuary and Caerynwch Estate did not disappoint.”

On arrival I was shown to a very comfortable single room with shared bathing facilities along the corridor, and immediately felt relaxed and at home. Sumptuous meals, hearty breakfasts, afternoon teas, home made cakes and pastries, wonderful suppers of warming chicken casseroles were provided by Morag.

Our tutors Janette Hill and Claire Carter provided a wealth of knowledge and loads of tips, and undoubtedly I feel all the information I have gleaned will enhance my photos and technique threefold. At all times consideration for the varying abilities of the group was taken into account, and one could participate in as many photographic shoots ( and mountainous walks) as one wished.

The weather during the stay was excellent, if not a bit too sunny which somewhat excluded from getting the hopeful more “moody and dramatic shots” that one would have wished to have got as the backdrop to this dramatic terrain. Visits to Snowdonia National Park and the seaside resort of Barmouth also provided much variation. All in all I felt this to be a wonderful experience and a great learning curve, which was made all the more enjoyable by the friendly group and our engaging banter all times.

Would highly recommend.