09 Apr 2021

Pangolin set to open new camp in The Delta this year

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Pangolin Photo Safaris is offering a brand-new accommodation concept in The Okavango Delta aimed directly at wildlife photography enthusiasts.

The Pangolin Photo Camp will operate, seasonally, in the remote Western sector of a private concession NG 16  and will comprise 5 large walk-in, en-suite, tents accommodating up to eight guests at a time.

The camp is semi-permanent with the ability to move regularly making the most of sightings and animal movements in different parts of the concession. Initially, six sites have been identified in strategic locations.

This allows the camp to relocate to be closer to areas with, for example, great lion activity, a resident leopard or perhaps a wild dog den.  Reducing the amount of time from camp to a key sighting at first and last light is key to wildlife photography success. Pangolin’s clients want to be in place and ready for action during the best light.

The Pangolin Photo Camp will be hosted by a professional wildlife photographer throughout the season (March to November) and cameras and telephoto lenses will be available to guests to use free of charge should they not have their own gear. Game activities will be conducted in two 4-seater game viewers fitted with bean bag camera rests.

“We are excited to be given access to such an inspiring and remote area,” said Pangolin co-owner Toby Jermyn. “Dereck and Beverly Joubert are wildlife photography legends and have done a lot of their work here, so it's an honour for our young company to be allowed to explore this area of theirs, and to help support their conservation goals.”

Pangolin believes that their clients will forego luxuries associated with many Okavango Delta camps to be able to spend more time in the field with photographic experts, limited numbers of guests on a game viewer and the freedom to roam and photograph an exclusive sector of one of the greatest wildlife photography destinations in Africa – The Okavango Delta.

The tents themselves will have twin raised steel beds with mattresses and quality linen. The en suite bathroom will feature a flushing toilet system as well as a hot water bucket shower. Power will be supplied by state-of-the-art solar battery units which will charge all camera batteries, electronic devices and lighting as well as a fan for the warmer months.

The communal areas of the camp will comprise a dining tent, campfire and a dedicated editing tent for post-production sessions during the day.

“With very affordable nightly rates, well below the standard Delta offerings, we believe that our clients will opt for longer stays at the Pangolin Photo Camp rather than “hopping” to different destinations as with most Botswana safari itineraries. When you have everything you need to be comfortable and plenty of subject matter to photograph in one place then what’s the point in moving on?” said Jermyn. “This is a stripped-back, authentic wildlife experience that harks back to an era when safaris were all about the wildlife encounters and photographic opportunities”.

Pangolin will begin construction of several underground photographic hides on the concession in early 2021 which will be positioned and designed jointly by Dereck and Pangolin co-owner Gerhard “Guts” Swanepoel.

The camp is set to open for its first guests in July 2021.

You can enjoy a walkthrough of the camp with Pangolin co-owner Gerhard "Guts" Swanepoel by following this link: https://youtu.be/cN9CFUGxnGM 

Additional comments and information:

Toby Jermyn

Director

Pangolin Photo Safaris

[email protected]