Frequently Asked Questions

Each vehicle is equipped with a simple medical kit. More serious issues would need to be addressed at a clinic or hospital. This is a very important reason to have travel insurance, as it will cover the costs of an immediate evacuation by air to get you the best possible care. If you do not have insurance and require evacuation, the associated costs will be your responsibility.

It is important that you consult with your doctor about traveling to Tanzania. That said, the exposure to health risks where we operate is limited. Malaria presents the greatest potential health risk, and antimalarial drugs are recommended. The antimalarial drug Malarone may be the best choice, again consult your doctor. A Yellow Fever vaccination is required only if you are entering Tanzania from a Yellow Fever infected country, such as Kenya, Ethiopia and Uganda.  A Yellow Fever vaccination is not required when flying non-stop to Arusha or Dar es Salamm from the U.S. and Europe.

Plan to take all your fragile and expensive camera bodies and lenses as carry on luggage. Putting these items in your checked bags is a risky proposition. Quality bags for big lenses are available from Gura Gear, Think Tank and LowePro. In my opinion, the best bag for flying with the most amount of equipment is the Gura Gear Kiboko bag. I have used this bag for several years and it is very well made and light – it only weighs 4 lbs, so you can carry 36lbs of equipment and still meet the 40lb carry on limit with Delta Airlines.

I also carry a Think Tank UD60 with my computer, hard drives, and a body with a lens or two. For the airlines, the Kiboko qualifies as a carry on bag, and the UD60 as a personal item.

If your not taking such a crazy amount of gear, there are many good bags that will fit your needs.

We recognize that there are many safari operators from which to choose and we appreciate your taking the time to see what we have to offer. Our itineraries and daily agendas are focused on getting the best wildlife images possible, through more and better opportunities, and in the most desirable areas.

Blue Photo Safaris partners with Proud African Safaris (PAS) to facilitate our logistics, and they do so to perfection. PAS specializes in custom private safaris, which makes them the perfect fit for our small groups. Their guides are some of the most experienced in the Serengeti (by a wide margin) and our relationship with them spans many years. They have been working in the Serengeti for decades, as Rangers, Biologists and Guides, and their knowledge of the regions history, flora and fauna seams limitless. Having guides of this caliber significantly improves the quantity and quality of wildlife encounters, in addition to the overall experience.

PAS brings a very comprehensive support network to our safaris, assuring both a safe and successful adventure in Tanzania.

Please contact us with any questions you may have and to get your name on one of our limited slots.

You are responsible for bringing your own camera equipment. Borrowing any equipment from others who came more prepared is not an option. If you do not own adequate equipment but want to make the most of this opportunity, please consider renting. A rental company we can recommend is LensProToGo. We will be happy to consult with you regarding what equipment to bring.

This can vary, from the best you can afford – to whatever you already have. I’ll recommend three different levels of camera equipment for consideration. Please note that I am most familiar with Canon products and will mostly use them for my recommendations – however, quality options are available from Nikon, Sony and others.

1) Any of the superzoom point and shoot cameras. These are easy to use, have a zoom range from wide angle for landscapes to over 500mm on the long end. Image quality is only fare – but adequate for many. I have had beginner photographers use the Canon SX30 and they have been very pleased with the images they got. Panasonic also makes a very versatile superzoom with the DMC-FZ40.

2) The mid range options include any recent model consumer DSLR, like the Canon Rebel T2i, and a couple lenses to cover the focal lengths needed. I will also include recommending bodies that are a few years old but still do well, like the Canon 40D. Probably the most versatile and affordable lens for a safari is the Canon 100-400mm zoom. This lens, when mounted on a 1.6 crop sensor body yields 640mm on the long end – and this focal length will come to good use in the open savannas of the Serengeti.

3) High end: This category of equipment is by far the most expensive and heavy to transport. While it is easy to just point out the top of the line, like the Canon 1D Mark IV body, – this category is defined more by the lenses than the bodies. I also recommend the Canon 7D as it is a very capable body for less than a third the cost of a Mark IV. If you really want the best image quality, it’s hard to beat the Canon EF500mm or the Nikon equivalent. Again, the Canon 100-400mm is a great option mounted on one of the higher end bodies. For the Nikon shooter, their 200-400mm zoom is an excellent choice.

Note: Please consider having at least two cameras in case one fails, and to have more focal lengths covered without changing lenses. Also, renting a high end lens is an excellent option for a safari. I have rented many lenses from LensProToGO with complete satisfaction. Another rental company is Lens Rentals.com

It would be very unlikely that you would not see the big five: elephant, rhino, cape buffalo, lion and leopard. The black rhino is by far the most rare and elusive of the five, but seeing and photographing them in the Ngorongoro crater is fairly reliable. We will have encounters with elephant, buffalo and lions on a daily basis – and we average around a dozen different leopard sightings per safari. We will see and photograph many cheetahs and probably some of the small cats. On a 2010 safari we photographed all of the big five in one day in the Moru Kopjes.

Yes and yes. At this time I am still working to categorize all he images in a searchable archive, and download features are forthcoming. Print purchasing is also just around the corner. If you are interested at this time please contact me.

Of course, this depends on two things: the file size of the images your camera takes, and the number of images you anticipate taking. The number of images taken will likely range from 2000 for the entire safari, to 2000 per day for some.

I recommend those shooting jpegs from consumer cameras take a minimum of two (2) 16gb cards to cover their needs.

If you are shooting Raw files from a high mega-pixel – high speed camera, your total needs can add up to using 200-500gb of memory. This can be accomplished with lots of 32gb cards, a computer with an external drive, or a stand alone image storage device. (I use a combination of all these options while on safari)

We will be able to get very close to many animals, at times just a few feet away. That said, we will always take into consideration what is the best distance for our photography (closer is not always better), and more importantly, we do not want to stress the wildlife. We will give additional distance to cheetahs with cubs as we do not want to interfere with their ability to hunt successfully.

Yes, we will provide all the guidance and informal photography instruction you desire. You will find assistance is always just a question away, and that this safari will be a chance to improve your skills tremendously. We will always have an open dialog on how best to deal with the current conditions. However, their are no lectures or presentations, our purpose is to enjoy the experience in a relaxed and fun atmosphere.

In general, driving off road in the bulk of the Serengeti National Park is forbidden. Exceptions to this include some areas defined as “low use”, which we will spend time in, and within the Ngorongoro Conservation area, where we will also spend time. No off road driving is allowed within the Ngorongoro crater itself. Special off road driving permits for areas otherwise closed may be available on select safaris – Please note: these special permits are expensive and difficult to obtain, final approval of applications may not be until 90 days before the safari.

No, air travel form the U.S. to Arusha, Tanzania is not included. These flights are easily booked online, or through a travel agent. We can recommend an agent that we use for all our travels to Africa and she would be glad to assist in getting the best fare available. That said, the easiest and most efficient way to get from the U.S. to Arusha is with Delta (or Continental). They have flights that connect in Amsterdam for a non-stop KLM flight to Arusha. Booking flights as early as possible is recommended as KLM runs on a reduced schedule in April.

Internal flights from the Serengeti back to Arusha at the end of the safari are included.

No, but it is highly recommended. We use TravelGuard and have some special rates and streamlined policies available which have been tailored for our safaris. These policies are very affordable, and offer a piece of mind for many uncertainties: lost luggage, lost passport, trip cancellation, airline issues, medical emergencies, and more. You are welcome to shop from any insurance carrier of your choosing.

It is important that you consult with your doctor about traveling to Tanzania. That said, the exposure to health risks where we operate is limited. Malaria presents the greatest potential health risk, and antimalarial drugs are recommended. The antimalarial drug Malarone may be the best choice, again consult your doctor. A Yellow Fever vaccination is required only if you are entering Tanzania from a Yellow Fever infected country, such as Kenya, Ethiopia and Uganda.  A Yellow Fever vaccination is not required when flying non-stop to Arusha or Dar es Salamm from the U.S. and Europe.

Yes, a passport and visa are required for U.S. citizens traveling to Tanzania. We provide VIP visa service to all clients arriving into Kilimanjaro International Airport. All Tanzania visa fees are included in the price of the safari and your visa will be issued immediately upon arrival. Our dedicated visa specialist will meet you in the customs area. He will have your name posted on a sign and will stamp your passport with your visa enabling you to bypass the long lines and confusion at customs. All you need to provide is a valid passport with at least two blank pages.