Zimanga, in South Africa’s KwaZulu Natal, is the first reserve in Africa designed for avid safari enthusiasts.
Where: Zimanga Private Game Reserve, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa
Date: July 5-12, 2025 (7 nights)
Group Size: 12 – 1 or 2 spots available (1 room, so double or single)
Cost: $6,955 (all-inclusive) – See details below
Deposit: $1750 per person
Single supplement: $500
Registration: To secure your spot, use our Contact Page. This way we can alleviate “fees” for online registration.
Safari Origination Point and Conclusion Point: This safari begins and ends in Durban, South Africa. We will provide transportation from Durban to Zimanga and back. Participants are responsible for airfare and any lodging costs getting to and from Durban. We will help you coordinate your travel plans to ensure timely arrival.
Instructors: Buddy Eleazer, Geff Bourke, and Denise Silva
Is Africa on your bucket list?
Is your goal to capture quality, potentially award winning wildlife photographs?
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- Imagine an African game reserve focused on the conservation of wild animals, but developed with wildlife photographers in mind. It sounds too good to be true!
- Now imagine an impressive compliment of wildlife, including the Big 5 and over 400 plus bird species.
- Further imagine photographing these animals at eye level or from a low angle outside of the vehicle! This is Zimanga.
This trip is the perfect wildlife photography getaway if you want to get close to wildlife and observe their activity in non-restrictive conditions.
We have the entire reserve to our group! So there are only three vehicles moving around the reserve at any given time! Guests will be able to use all of Zimanga’s world-class hides, as well as going on off-road tracking game drives with the potential of building up a stunning and varied wildlife photographic portfolio. You will have a difficult time selecting your favorite keepers!
Some say nothing beats the exhilaration of tracking African off-road and through riverbeds to see them in a natural setting. Others say nothing beats the excitement and anticipation of sitting in wait at a waterhole, knowing that anything can appear …. in Zimanga, you get both. On top of that, you enjoy the luxurious lodging and world-class chef-prepared food. The staff is second to none. With the overnight hides, you will experience the excitement of seeing how the bush comes alive at night. A unique and frankly extraordinary experience. The beauty of Zimanga is that you will not have to make the choice, as all of this is available to you throughout this safari.
Zimanga, in South Africa’s KwaZulu Natal, is the first African reserve designed for avid safari enthusiasts. It simultaneously satisfies the needs of modern wildlife photographers of any skill level, as well as those who prefer a deeper appreciation of the bush or crave an unhurried exclusive experience. This is why Zimanga has become the region’s premier wildlife photography destination. The owners are committed to the continual development of the reserve, striving to push the boundaries of a new wildlife experience unlike that found anywhere else on the continent.
Spread over 15,000 acres of pristine Zululand bushveld, fever tree forests and rolling hills, Zimanga is bisected by the Mkuze River and home to a splendid variety of animals and birds. Species including the Big 5 (rhino, lion, elephant, leopard and Cape buffalo) roam freely with other species such as cheetah, hippo, various antelope species and more across the region. The reserve provides unparalleled game viewing and photographic opportunities. There are also over 400 bird species recorded on the reserve, which is why Zimanga hosts Africa’s BirdLife Association for their annual bird count.
Zimanga has been developed by Charl and Mariska Senekal over the last decade. As an avid photographer, Charl has created a photo safari destination like no other. Vehicle safaris, with no more than two clients per row, and several “state of the art” photographic hides built under the guidance and supervision of “The Invisible Wildlife Photographer” Bence Mate offer visitors never-seen-before opportunities to observe African wildlife. These hides with their unique design and the amazing opportunities presented by traditional vehicle safaris within a private reserve have produced several award-winning photographs in the world’s top wildlife photography competitions.
PHOTOGRAPHIC HIDES
There are currently seven photographic hides on Zimanga. these include
- Two Overnight Hides – These are the only photographic hides for overnight photography of large mammals in South Africa. The hides are equipped with special lights for photographing, tripods, beds, and even Wi-Fi.
- Two Bird Bath Hides or Reflection Hides. These are ideal for small bird photography and the occasional thirsty lion.
- The larger Lagoon hide focuses on water birds and crocodiles in the summer season.
- The Scavenger’s Hill is situated on a hill looking over a valley and beautiful mountain backdrop, and the action can be fierce as up to 5 species of vultures, alongside other scavengers, compete for food.
- The bee-eater hide is a mobile unit that can be placed in close proximity to where white-fronted bee-eaters nest and produces stunning results for these colorful birds. Typically, the white fronted bee eaters arrive in the area in early July and begin nesting at the month’s end. We hope nature keeps the schedule, but this hide use will be dependent on the arrival of migratory birds.
These hides have been designed and built by the owners of Zimanga and Bence Mate (a former winner of the coveted BBC wildlife photographer of the year award). Bence is the world-authority in hide design, construction and photography. Bence has previously built hides on his farm in his native Hungary, as well as Costa Rica and South America, but the hides at Zimanga are his first hides in Africa.
Planning and building hides of this caliber is an exhaustive process. First a location is selected from an extensive short list before a test box is installed and used for several months allowing the design and positioning to be adjusted, often by the tiniest degree, to ensure that the lighting, focal lengths, backgrounds and animal behavior all fall into place so that the photographers produce images of startling quality and originality.
Each of the hides is designed for its potential subject whether it is a large mammal like a giraffe or elephant or the smallest of birds like waxbills and twin spots. The photographers are invisible to their subjects behind specially imported one-way glass and sound dampening materials, so as not to startle the subject with any movements or sounds.
Photographers are seated on comfortable executive-style desk chairs, which glide effortlessly and quietly on across the floor. A solar-powered air conditioning unit situated in the roof of the hide controls the temperature and humidity within. The hides are spacious and soundproofed with carpet on the walls to muffle the sound. The carpets themselves are inlaid with a fine silver thread to eliminate mildew growth in such close proximity to a water source.
The hides allow photographers a non-intrusive method of wildlife viewing and photography. Although the subjects are free-roaming and therefore, there is no guarantee of a sighting, the hides tip the balance heavily in favor of the photographer to get that amazing shot.
With the exception of Overnight Hide, all Zimanga’s hides harness the power of the sun, with all the electricity demands for the hides met by solar installations.
Please note the following important factors when deciding to visit the hides at Zimanga:
- Be aware of minimum focal distance limitations on your lenses. In some cases, the animals are less than 10ft away and can often be even closer.
- Tripods, Benro gimbal heads and mounting brackets are provided to guests at no charge, so you need an Arca-Swiss plate for your camera. Manfroto plates will not work.
- There are no toilet facilities in the day hides, so please limit your intake of fluids and coffee during the hide sessions. The overnight hides have toilet facilities, as well as cots if needed.
- The hides are dark to minimize reflections from inside and are mostly underground. Please be aware of this if you suffer from claustrophobia. Also, it is good to wear dark clothing or cover white lens bodies to minimize reflection.
GAME DRIVES
Zimanga has a policy of a maximum of 2 people per row in the open game drive vehicles. This ensures that each person has plenty of space and a clear view of the wildlife. By off-road tracking we will be able to get excellent viewing angles of lions, leopard, cheetah, rhino, elephants and many other species of animals. These game drives are so good that we would recommend this location even if the reserve did not have photographic hides.
ZIMANGA MAIN LODGE
The Zimanga Main Lodge opened in 2018. The floor plan of the lodge includes spacious lounge areas inside the main building, on the decks as well as an elevated view of the valley from the roof lounge. Other facilities include a boardroom, library and quiet lounge attached to the south-eastern wing for those seeking to escape the crowd. The term crowd is used loosely here as the lodge will only sleep a maximum of 14 guests/guides, hosted in six free standing two-bedded units with two additional single rooms, offering privacy within a splendid KwaZulu Natal lowveld setting. Each bungalow also has an elevated view of the bushveld.
Our 7-Night stay includes of the following:
- One (1) arrival night in Durban’s nearby resort of Ballito. Upon arrival we will all meet up for a ‘meet and greet’ dinner prior to our next day transfer to Zimanga.
- Six (6) Nights at fully catered accommodation at Zimanga Main Lodge, including activities
- Includes Conservation and Community Levy
- Includes Value Added Tax (VAT) @15%
- Water, tea and coffee, local beers, spirits, soft drinks and house wine at the lodge
- Transfers from Durban to/from Zimanga by charter bus
- Private suite (sharing) or single room, each with en-suite facilities, air-conditioning, private deck, work desk and multiple input plug points
- Game Drives to track down some of Zimanga’s charismatic animal species (guaranteed window seat)
- Hide Sessions with choices including:
- Reflection (Birdbath) hide session at Mkhombe and Bhejane Hides
- Lagoon Hide
- Vulture/Scavenger Hide
- Two overnight sessions (one in each of the Umgodi and Tamboti Overnight Hides)
Excludes
- Flights to/from Durban, South Africa
- After hours activities and special photo projects
- Specialty wines, cocktails, craft beer and imported spirits
- Curios, and items of a personal nature
- Gratuities for guides and lodge staff
The Cost
- The cost of this all-inclusive safari is $6,955 per person (double occupancy). We have 4 single rooms at the lodge. If a single room is desired, a $500 single supplement is required. The same rate applies for each participant regardless of whether they are doing photography or not.
- Due to the limited number of spaces available, if a solo guest is willing to share a room and we can match with another guest of the same gender, we will do so.
- Deposit and Payment Plan– To reserve your space, a non-refundable deposit of 25% is required. The remaining cost will be split into two equal payments due with one due 6 months prior to departure and the final payment due 3 months prior to departure.
NOTE: Payment may be paid by Zelle (preferred method), personal check, bank wire transfer or credit card/PayPal; however, if a credit card or PayPal is used, a 4.5% service and handling charge will be added to the amount due.
Necessary Fine Print: South Africa is a stable country, but the world is changing, and South Africa is changing with it. We will attempt to adhere to this itinerary as much as possible. However, certain conditions (medical emergencies, political, climatic, environmental, or cultural) may necessitate changes in the itinerary. We reserve the right to alter any itinerary at any time, if necessary. We will attempt to notify participants of changes as far in advance as possible. Costs incurred by such changes will be the responsibility of the participant.
Terms and Conditions will apply and will be sent to interested parties upon request, however general cancellation terms are as follows:
Cancellation Policy
If you must cancel, Road Runner Photography Tours needs written cancellation notification. All cancellations are only effective once confirmed in writing by our office.
A non-refundable deposit is required to hold a spot for all Photo Workshops and Safaris. Please note that the initial deposit is 100% non-refundable. For payments made after the initial deposit, Road Runner Photography Tours will retain the following percentages of the money paid.
- Your initial deposit is 100% non-refundable
- If you cancel 181 days or more prior to the program start date, Road Runner Photography Tours will retain your initial deposit plus 25% of additional invoiced amount paid
- If you cancel between 120 and 180 days prior to program start date, Road Runner Photography Tours will retain your initial deposit plus 50% of all additional invoiced amount paid
- NO REFUND will be provided on cancellations made within 120 days of the program start date
NOTE: For personal convenience, some clients make payments in excess of invoiced amounts. Except as stated above, Road Runner Photography Tours will refund 100% of these excess payments made beyond the invoiced amounts.
NOTE: All refunds are subject to commission and/or bank charges.
Trip cancellation insurance is strongly recommended to enable recovery of deposits in the event of a need to cancel participation for medical or personal reasons covered by the policy.
What To Do Next?
This group size sounds large at 12, but this is a very popular destination and space is limited. If this exciting trip fits you, your camera club or you and a group of friends; if you’re excited by the thought of seeing nature while taking your photography to the next level, then now is the time to register. If you have any questions or wish to register, send us an e-mail with any inquiries to [email protected] or through our Contact page to secure your spot(s).
